
Pass TV< H54- 
Book_ 

(opyriglil N° 

COPYRIGHT DEPOSrT. 



A MANUAL OF THEOLOGY 
FOR THE LAITY 



Being a Briefs Clear > and Systematic Exposition 

of the Reason and Authority of Religion 

and a Practical Guide Book 

for all of Good Will 

BY 

REV. P. GEIERMANN, C.SS.R. 



WITH AN INTRODUCTION 

BY THE 

MOST REV. JOHN J. GLENNON, D.D. 

Archbishop of St. Louis 



"Being ready always to satisfy every one that asketh you a 
reason of that hope which is in you."— 1 Peter iii. i5. 



New York, Cincinnati, Chicago 
BKNZIOKR BROTHERS 

Printers to the Holy Apostolic See 
1906 



* 






\1 



LIBRARY of CONGRESS 
TwoCooles Received 

JUN 23 1906 

Q eopyri^nt Entry 
f filKSSCL t XXc. No. 
CO*Y B. 



ItJiHl ©batat. 



3fmprtmatttr» 



REMY LAFORT, 

Censor Librorum. 



^ JOHN M. FARLEY, 

Archbishop of New York. 



New York, December 8, 1906. 



Copyright, 1906, by Benziger Brothers. 



INTKODUCTION. 

The progress of the Catholic Church in any 
country is attributable primarily to the indwelling 
Spirit which guides the Church, — next to the piety, 
zeal, and education of its priesthood, and lastly, 
though in no mean degree, to the devotion, activity, 
and education of the laity. When these three 
features combine, then is the Church writing the 
brightest pages of her history. 

The first of these conditions is with God. "The 
Spirit breatheth where He will," but the second 
and third under God's guidance are of our creation. 
Generally they go together, so that the saying "As 
are the people so is the priest," is true reversed, 
"As is the priest so are the people." 

It is therefore very meet and proper that a 
priest should write for the laity a "Manual of 
Theology," for the publication of such a book evi- 
dences at once the education and zeal of the priest, 
and at the same time his desire that the laity also 
should be educated. 

Not only is such a publication proper, but just 
at this time it is very opportune. Secular knowl- 
edge is daily being diffused and popularized, and 
the spirit of inquiry is fostered everywhere. Peo- 



i v IXTRODUCTION. 

pie want to know and if possible obtain a reason 
for all things. They would like to know what 
Catholicity stands for : and whether we are able to 
give "a reason for the faith that is in us." 

With such conditions surrounding our Catholic 
laity, ignorance of their Faith would be little 
short of criminal. They should learn well their 
holy religion — become its apostles, and make life, 
word, and work all stand as the best evidence of 
the divine origin of that Faith that is theirs. 

Hence I have no hesitation in commending to 
them a book so well fitted to instruct them and fit 
them for their apostolate. We hope it will meet 
everywhere a cordial reception. 

John J. Glennon, 
Archbishop of St. Louis. 

April 6, 1906. 



PEEFACE. 



The competition of daily life prevents many 
honest persons from devoting that time and at- 
tention to the subject of Eeligion which it de- 
serves. In consequence of this lamentable fact 
there are persons to-day who profess no Religion, 
because they have no clear idea of its nature or 
of its necessity for human happiness. Others do 
not profess the true Eeligion, because they do not 
understand the reason and authority of its claims. 
Some, no doubt, profess the true Eeligion, but do 
not practise it as they ought, because they fail to 
appreciate its excellence. They regard it more 
as a burden than as a natural debt which man 
owes to the God of infinite goodness. Instead 
of regarding Eeligion as the only source of true 
happiness, they often shun it as something dis- 
agreeable. Hence they are unhappy even when 
surrounded with heavenly blessings, for their con- 
science is ill at ease. Knowledge can show men 
the way to happiness, but these persons scarcely 
have time to pause and listen to its counsel. This 
Theology for the Laity is specially intended to 
enlighten and encourage "all of good will" who 
are handicapped in this way. It shows them the 



vi PREFACE. 

nature, the necessity, the certainty, the beauty, 
and the harmony of divine Religion, as the 
masterpiece of the God of goodness. It is a 
complete religious handbook for busy people, 
especially for members of the true fold. Persons 
of leisure may find more profitable reading in the 
many excellent doctrinal and polemic works that 
have appeared in recent years. Still, a brief, 
clear, and systematic manual of theology for the 
laity has advantages of its own. It is calculated 
to interest even those who will not study larger 
and more learned works. It will often be taken 
up by those whose limited time will not permit 
more extensive reading. Its simple, direct 
method ought to recommend it, in a particular 
manner, to the honest inquirer, for it gives him 
a clear and comprehensive idea of that Religion 
which alone spans the chasm between the natural 
and the supernatural. For this reason Theology 
for the Laity may also be of special service to 
many pastors whose time for instructing converts 
is limited by other parochial work, 



PLAN OF THIS WOKK. 

Theology for the Laity is offered as an intel- 
ligent and practical guide to all honest souls on 
their pilgrimage to heaven. Its object is to give 
g concise, yet systematic exposition of The Reason 
and Authority of Religion. 

The plan which it observes is: (1) to in- 
vestigate The Fundamental Ideas of Religion 
as proposed by Eeason and History; (2) to study 
Revealed Religion, both in its Supernatural 
Truths and in its Divinely Ordained Practice; 
(3) to show how The True Religion of To-day 
logically follows from these two premises. 

In composing this "Guide-Book" the author 
has naturally availed himself of the privileges 
of a guide: (1) to point out things of interest; 
(2) to explain them in his own way; (3) 
to give his reasons for the same. Before proceed- 
ing from one object of interest to another, the 
author has tried to anticipate and briefly answer 
those objections and questions which the heaven- 
ly pilgrim might wish to have explained if the 
author were actually with him as his guide. 

The author also wishes to avail himself of this 
opportunity to express his gratitude to his cleri- 
cal friends for the aid and encouragement they 
have given him in composing this manual for the 
laity. 



CONTENTS. 

PAGB 

Introduction iii 

Preface v 

PART I. 
FUNDAMENTAL IDEAS OF RELIGION. 

1. What is Religion? 12 

2. Whence comes Religion ? 14 

3. What are the specific Obligations of Religion? 16 

4. How is this Debt of Religion to be paid? 18 

5. Is the Form of Religion optional ? 20 

6. What does History say? 21 

7. Practical Religion 23 

8. Is Religion necessary ? 25 

9. What is meant by the true Religion ? 27 

10. Can there be more than one true Religion?. . . 28 

11. Must Man know the true Religion? 30 

12. How can Man know the true Religion? 31 

13. What certainty can Man have of the true Re- 

ligion ? 32 

14. What does the true Religion ordain? 34 

15. What is Devotion? ♦ . 35 

16. What is Prayer ? . 37 

17. What is Divine Adoration and Worship? 39 

18. What is Sacrifice? 40 

19. Who is the Priest? 42 

20. What is Repentance ? 44 

21. Divine Praise 45 



x CONTENTS. 

PAGE 

22. Material Offerings 46 

23. Sanctification of Certain Days 47 

24. Optional Acts 47 

25. Religious Ceremonies 48 

26. Religious Liberty 49 

27. Superstition 51 

PART II. 

REVEALED RELIGION. 

A. SUPERNATURAL TRUTHS. 

I. Introductory Truths. 

1. Truth 54 

2. Mystery 56 

3. The Supernatural 58 

4. Revelation 61 

5. Miracles 64 

6. Prophecy 66 

7. Tradition 67 

8. The Bible 71 

9. Inspiration 74 

10. Historical Value of the Bible 76 

II. God and the Divine Plan. 

1. There is a God 79 

2. What is God? 83 

3. The Blessed Trinity 83 

4. The Attributes of God 85 

5. Creation 85 

6. The Angels 87 

7. Man 80 

8. The Immortality of the Soul 93 



CONTENTS. xi 

PAGE 

9. The Prerogatives of our First Parents 97 

10. Destiny 100 

11. Heaven 102 

12. Free Will 104 

13. Merit 106 

14. Divine Providence 109 

15. Predestination Ill 

III. Sin and its Consequences. 

1. The Sin of the Angels 115 

2. Hell 118 

3. Influence of the Spirit World 121 

4. Original Sin 126 

5. Consequences of the Fall 128 

6. The Promise of Pardon 129 

7. Actual Sin 132 

8. The Forgiveness of Sin 135 

9. The Incarnation 139 

10. The Atonement 142 

11. The Redemption 144 

12. Sanctification 145 

13. Death 148 

14. The Particular Judgment 150 

15. Purgatory 152 

16. The Resurrection 154 

17. The General Judgment 156 

B. DIVINELY ORDAINED PRACTICE. 

I. The Patriarchal or Family Religion. 

1. The Primitive Revelation 159 

2. Positive Laws 159 

3. The Practice of Religion in Patriarchal Times. 160 



x ii CONTENTS. 

PAGE 

4. Transmission of the Primitive Revelation. . . . 161 

5. Noe 162 

6. Abraham 162 

7. Melchisedech 163 

8. Holy Job 164 

II. The Mosaic or State Religion. 

1. Moses 165 

2. The Law of Moses 166 

3. The Tabernacle and the Temple 168 

4. The Ark of the Covenant 168 

5. The Jewish Priesthood 169 

6. The Mosaic Sacrifices 170 

7. Practical Religion in the Mosaic Dispensation. 171 

8. Mosaic Holidays 172 

9. The Prophets 173 

10. The Sanhedrim 174 

11. Jewish Sects and Factions 174 

III. The Christian or Catholic Religion. 

1. "What think you of Christ ?" 176 

2. "As He was spoken of by the Prophets" 178 

3. The Testimony of Christ's Works 179 

4. The Mission of Jesus Christ 181 

5. The Religion of Jesus Christ 182 

6. What is the Church ? 185 

7. The Apostles ' 188 

8. The Primacy of Peter 189 

9. The Attributes of the Church 192 

10. The Marks of the Church 195 

11. The Holy Ghost and the Church 197 

12. Outside the Church no Salvation 198 

13. Conditions of Practical Membership 200 



CONTENTS. xiii 

PAGE 

14. Divine Faith 201 

15. Means of obtaining and preserving Faith.... 203 

16. Harmony of Faith and Reason 205 

17. The Rule of Faith 205 

18. Creed 208 

19. The New Commandment 210 

20. The Evangelical Counsels 211 

21. The Sacraments 213 

22. Practical Religion in Apostolic Times 214 

PART III. 
THE TRUE RELIGION OF TO-DAY. 

I. The Catholic Religion of To-day the True Re- 

ligion of Jesus Christ. 

1. There must be a true Religion To-day 217 

2. In what does the true Religion of To-day con- 

sist? 218 

3. Which is the true Church To-day? 221 

4. The Mission of the Catholic Church the Mis- 

sion of the Apostles 224 

5. The Authority of the Catholic Church the 

Authority of Jesus Christ 227 

6. The Infallibility of the Catholic Church the 

Infallibility of the Holy Ghost 229 

7. The Perpetuity of the Catholic Church proves 

her Divinity 230 

8. Unity a Mark of the Catholic Church 232 

9. Holiness a Mark of the Catholic Church 234 

10. Universality a Mark of the Catholic Church.. 236 

II. Apostolicity a Mark of the Catholic Church.. 237 

12. The Necessity of the Catholic Church 238 

13. Who is a Catholic ? 240 



«i v CONTENTS. 

PAGE 

14. The Pope of Rome the Successor of St. Peter. . 241 

15. The Primacy of the Pope the Primacy of Peter 242 

16. The Infallibility of the Pope the Prerogative 

of Peter 243 

17. The Testimony of Ages 244 

18. Rome and Reason 246 

19. The Temporal Power 247 

20. The Disciple is not above the Master 250 

21. The Sanction of Miracles 252 

22. "Peace be to you" 253 

23. The Sacrifice of the New Law 254 

24. The True Priesthood of the New Law 256 

25. The Celibacy of the Clergy the Celibacy of 

Jesus Christ 257 

26. The Evangelical Counsels observed in the Cath- 

olic Church 259 

27. True Repentance 262 

28. The Practical Test 263 

29. The Catholic Ritual 265 

30. The Latin Language 267 

31. The Communion of Saints 269 

32. The Blessed Virgin Mary 270 

33. Veneration of the Saints 272 

34. We can help our Dead 274 

35. What Catholics believe 275 

36. What Catholics do not believe 278 

37. The Church and Science 270 

38. Revelation or Evolution 281 

39. Pantheism 283 

40. Socialism 284 

41. Religious Indifference 285 

42. Forbidden Societies 287 

43. Modern Superstitions 288 



CONTENTS. xv 

II. Obligations Emphasized by the True Religion. 

PAGE 

1. Right and Duty 300 

2. Source and Obligation of Duty 301 

3. Law: Its Relation to Right and Duty 301 

4. Necessity and Obligation of Law 302 

5. Conscience : Its Obligations 303 

6. Obstacles to the Formation of a true Con- 

science 304 

Moral Goodness : Its Sources 306 

What to do in a Doubt 307 

The Decalogue 308 

"I am the Lord thy God" 309 

Profane Words 309 

The Lord's Day: Sabbath or Sunday 310 

Duties of Children 311 

Catholic Education 312 

Duties of Superiors and Inferiors 313 

General Rights and Duties 314 

Purity in Daily Life 314 

Private Ownership 315 

Justice 316 

"Thou shalt not bear False Witness" 317 

Can the Church make Laws? "The Precepts". . 319 

Hearing Mass 320 

Fast and Abstinence 321 

The Annual Confession 323 

Easter Communion 323 

Support of Pastor, Church and School 325 

Marriage Impediments and Dispensations 326 

Divorce and Separation 328 

Catholic Etiquette 329 

"Be ye therefore perfect" 330 



xvi CONTENTS. 

III. Spiritual Aids Fostered by the True Religion. 

PAGE 

1. The Word of God 332 

2. Grace 333 

3. Necessity of Grace 334 

4. Sanctifying Grace 335 

5. Actual Grace 336 

6. God gives sufficient Grace to all 337 

7. Co-operation with Grace 338 

8. Salvation: The Grace of Perseverance 339 

9. Means of Grace 340 

10. The Great Means of Grace 341 

11. The Sacraments of the Catholic Church 342 

12. Baptism 343 

13. Confirmation 346 

14. The Holy Eucharist: Its Institution 348 

15. Transubstantiation, or the Mystery of the Real 

Presence 350 

16. Holy Communion, or the Holy Eucharist as a 

Sacrament 352 

17. Holy Mass, or the Holy Eucharist as a Sac- 

rifice 353 

18. Penance, the Sacrament of God's Mercy 355 

19. The Examination of Conscience 357 

20. Contrition 35*9 

21. The Purpose of Amendment 361 

22. Confession 363 

23. Satisfaction 365 

24. Extreme Unction 366 

25. Vocation 367 

26. Holy Orders: The Catholic Hierarchy 368 

27. The Religious State 370 

28. Virginity, the Single Life in the World 371 



CONTENTS. 



xvii 



PAGE 

29. Matrimony 373 

30. Indulgences 375 

31. Sacramentals 377 

32. The Blessings of the Church 378 

33. Articles of Devotion 380 

34. Catholic Devotions 381 

35. Devotion to the Blessed Sacrament 382 

36. Frequent Communion 384 

37. Devotion to the Sacred Heart 385 

38. The Way of the Cross 387 

39. Devotion to the Blessed Virgin , 388 

40. The Rosary 390 

41. The Scapular 391 

42. Triduums, Novenas, and Octaves 393 

43. Sodalities and Confraternities 394 

44. Benevolent Societies 395 

45. Conclusion 396 

Appendix of Prayers 399 

Alphabetical Index 403 



£ Manual of Gftjeologp for ttie ilattp* 



PAET I. 

FUNDAMENTAL IDEAS OF RELIGION. 

When a person engages in a commercial en- 
terprise, he must be able to meet his current ex- 
penses before he can begin to accumulate a for- 
tune. So man ought to meet his current ex- 
penses by "giving to God the things that are 
God's" (Matt. xxii. 21) before he seeks to acquire 
a title to a mansion in the kingdom of heaven. 
Man daily renders to God the things that are 
God's by the right practice of Eeligion. In the 
following "Fundamental Ideas of Religion" we 
shall investigate the first principles of Eeligion 
according to the teaching of reason and history. 
In this way we hope to prepare all persons "of 
good will" to accept the claims which the true 
Eeligion of to-day makes upon them. 



12 FUNDAMENTAL IDEAS OF RELIGION. 



I, What is Religion? 

Eeligion is the debt which man owes to God. 

Lactantius, the Christian Cicero, says that the 
word Religion is derived from two Latin words, 
"re" and "ligare," meaning "to bind again." God 
has bound man to Himself, 1st, by establishing 
a relationship with him; and 2dly, by obliging 
him to live in accordance with that relationship. 
"Religion is this bond of piety," says Lactantius, 
"by which man is bound again to God." 

As parents freely enter into relationship with 
their children, so has God of His own free 
choice contracted a relationship with man. Be- 
ing to their advantage, it was unnecessary to con- 
sult the wish of the dependent parties in either 
case. It is evident that children are indebted 
to their parents for many things. How much 
more, therefore, is man indebted to God! This 
indebtedness of man to God is called Religion. 

The closer the bonds of any relationship are, 
the stronger are its obligations. Man, for ex- 
ample, owes his fellow man Christian charity. 
He owes the state allegiance and support. 
To his relatives and friends he owes a debt of 
special charity. To his parents he owes more 
respect, love, and obedience than to the state. 
Now the closest relationship ever established 



WHAT IS RELIGION f 13 

exists between God and man. Not only is God 
the Author of man's being through the law of 
generation; He is also the actual Creator of every 
human soul. 

Our mothers nursed us in our infancy, but God 
watches over us from the cradle to the grave. 
Our parents provided for us when we could not 
earn our daily bread, but God provides for us 
both for time and for eternity. If their means 
permitted, our parents gave us a nurse or gov- 
erness in our childhood; but God has given to 
every one through life the protection and guid- 
ance of an angel guardian. Our parents gave 
us, perhaps, influence in society; but God has 
adopted us as His own children and made us 
the brethren of Christ. Parents usually leave 
their children their earthly possessions; but God 
has made us with Christ heirs to the kingdom 
of heaven. 

Our first and greatest obligation in life was, 
therefore, accurately expressed by Our Saviour 
when He said, "Thou shalt love the Lord thy 
God with thy whole heart, with thy whole soul, 
and with thy whole mind, and with thy whole 
strength" (Mark xii. 30). 

Objections. 
1. I don't believe in God. — There is no effect 
without a cause. The world is the effect of God's 
creative power. "The fool says in his heart [not 
in his mind], There is no God" (Ps. lii. 10). 



14 FUNDAMENTAL IDEAS OF RELIGION. 

2. With death all ends. — This assertion is con- 
trary to sound reason and the consent of nations. 
Holy Job voices the truth when he says, "This 
flesh will rise again" (xix. 25) ; and St. Paul adds 
"in incorruption" (1 Cor. xv. 42). 

3. I do not feel the obligation of Religion. — 
That reminds one of the prodigal son. Do you 
feel the obligation of paying your grocer, your 
doctor, or your lawyer? Like these debts, Eeligion 
is not a matter of mere sentiment, but of justice. 

4. I do what is right by my family and my 
neighbor; that is enough! — "These things you 
ought to have done, and not to leave those undone" 
(Matt, xxiii. 23). Man's first and greatest duty is 
to God. 

5. God does not seem to care whether I practise 
Eeligion or not. — It is true that God "maketh His 
sun to rise upon the good and bad, and raineth 
upon the just and the unjust" (Matt. v. 45). But 
would Christ have died upon the cross if God did 
not care for Eeligion ? The fact is that God, being 
merciful, waits till death to demand an account of 
your stewardship. 

2. Whence comes Religion? 

Eeligion flows from the relationship between 
God and man. It comes from God. There is 
no right without a corresponding duty. A debt 
may be voluntarily assumed, a right must always 
be lawfully acquired. When this right is freely 
granted to us by another, that person thereby 



WHENCE GOMES RELIGION? 15 

imposes upon us a corresponding obligation. 
Thus, if a friend presents you with a watch, he 
imposes upon you the obligation of gratitude, 
by the very fact of transferring to you the owner- 
ship of the watch. Or if a merchant sells and 
delivers to you certain goods, he at the same 
time imposes, and you assume, an obligation of 
justice toward him. In the same way, children, 
citizens, pupils, etc., have obligations resulting 
from their several relations with their fellow 
men, obligations which they are bound to ac- 
knowledge and which they may not ignore. The 
same reasoning must be applied to man's rela- 
tionship with God. To man God has given the 
rights of a rational creature; yes, even the rights 
of a child of God, of a brother of Christ and co- 
heir with Him to the kingdom of heaven. But 
God has also imposed upon man a corresponding 
duty— the duty of Eeligion. Man did not as- 
sume that debt freely; much less is he free to 
ignore or repudiate it. 

By deliberately neglecting or refusing to pay 
the debt of Religion, we forfeit our rights as 
children of God and brethren of Christ. An un- 
profitable servant is discharged, an incorrigible 
pupil is expelled, a lawless citizen is imprisoned. 
Can man, then, the creature of God, hope for 
life eternal if he ignores God's sacred claims 
upon him? "You have not chosen Me," saith 
the Lord, "but I have chosen you and have ap- 
pointed you, that you should go, and should bring 



16 FUNDAMENTAL IDEAS OF RELIGION. 

forth fruit, and your fruit should remain" 
(John xv. 16). 

Objections. 

1. Religion is generosity on the part of man 
towards God. — Religion is man's first duty on 
earth. Is it generous for a child to respect and love 
its parents ? Is it generous to eat in order to live ? 
How, then, can it be generosity to pray daily to 
preserve the friendship of God ? 

2. I do not ask any favors of God. — You owe 
God an acknowledgment of favors received. Pay 
this debt of Religion "lest that which you have be 
taken from you" (Luke xix. 26). 

3. Religion is a matter of choice. — No more a 
matter of choice than your existence. Religion is 
a debt resulting from your dependence on God. 

4. I did not assume the debt of Religion. — It 
was inborn in your very nature. Did you assume 
the debt of respect, love, and obedience towards 
your parents? 

3. What are the Specific Obligations of 
Religion ? 

The specific obligations of Religion are four: 
adoration, gratitude, prayers, and satisfaction. 
God has bound man to Himself by a fourfold re- 
lationship. He has bound man again to Himself 
by obliging him to live in accordance with this 
relationship. God is the Creator, man the crea- 
ture; God is the Benefactor, man the beneficiary; 



SPECIFIC OBLIGATIONS OF RELIGION. 17 

God is the Lawgiver, man the subject; God is the 
final end of all creation, man must attain that 
end to possess eternal happiness. By this four- 
fold relationship God imposes a corresponding 
fourfold obligation on man. Man must adore God 
as his Creator, thank Him as his Benefactor, 
pray to Him for the help he needs in working 
out his destiny, and make reparation to Him for 
transgressing His holy law. 

Yes, my friends, as creatures we must acknowl- 
edge our Creator by adoring Him in mind and 
heart, by worshiping Him in spirit and in ex- 
ternal action. We owe God an infinite debt of 
gratitude. He created us to His own image and 
likeness. He adopted us as His children and des- 
tined us for the joys of heaven. His divine Son 
died upon the cross to ransom us from sin and 
death. We should, therefore, help that His "holy 
will be done on earth as it is in heaven," and this 
we do by prayer. Prayer, in fact, is a debt which 
we owe ourselves. We know that God is infinitely 
happy, whether we be saved or lost. Heaven is 
His home. It is also the object of our destiny 
and desires. In our sinfulness, however, we can- 
not make ourselves worthy of heaven without 
God's help. That help God has promised ; but He 
will not force it upon us; He respects our free 
will. He grants it to us when we express a de- 
sire for it. By prayer we open our hearts to God 
and draw down His favors upon us. "Ask and 
you shall receive," is the promise of Our Lord. 



18 FUNDAMENTAL IDEAS OF RELIGION. 

Finally, we owe God satisfaction or atonement 
for our faults. When we slight or wrong any 
one, the least we can do towards repairing the in- 
jury is to repent, apologize, and promise amend- 
ment. Now, if we do this even for unintentional 
injury to our neighbor, we certainly should do at 
least as much when we have wilfully offended 
Him who has the strongest claim upon us, and 
who declares that He is "Our Lord and God" 
(Ps. lxxx. 11). 

Objections. 

1. I must thank myself for all I have. — If God 
had not given you life, health, strength, and op- 
portunities, what would you have ? 

2. God can take care of Himself. — Yes, but 
you cannot do without Him. 

3. I can get on without God's special help. — 
"Without Me you can do nothing" (John xv. 5). 

4. God is too exacting. — "My yoke is sweet and 
My burden light" (Matt. xi. 30). 

5. It is sometimes impossible not to transgress 
God's laws. — No. God is good. He does not ask 
impossibilities. Besides, "unto whomsoever much 
is given, of him much shall be required" (Luke 
xii. 48). 

4. How is the Debt of Religion to be Paid ? 

The debt of Eeligion must be paid in the cur- 
rency of all such deliberate (human) acts as are 
in accordance with the nature of man. The 



PAYING THE DEBT OF RELIGION. 19 

nature of man is complex; it is composed of soul 
and body. Of these, the soul is the nobler part. 
Hence God looks more to the upright intention 
and good will, which are operations of the soul, 
than to the external action of the body. But the 
body also is an essential part of man. Man must 
therefore pay the debt of Eeligion not only in 
the sanctuary of his heart, but also in external 
action. God has condescended to enter into a 
relationship with the body as well as with the 
6oul of man. He is the Author of both. He 
blesses both, watches over both by His providence, 
and destines both for heaven. Hence, if the debt 
of Eeligion flows from the relationship between 
God and man, and is proportioned to it, common 
sense demands that the debt of Eeligion be paid 
not only in acts of mind and heart, but also in 
external action, in which the body has a share. 
Hence Our Saviour rightly declares that "Not 
every one that saith to Me, Lord, Lord, shall 
enter the kingdom of heaven; but he that doth 
the will of My Father, he shall enter the kingdom 
of heaven" (Matt. vii. 21). 

Objections. 

1. Christ said "true adorers adore the Father 
in spirit and in truth" (John vi. 23) . — Certainly; 
but not blindly as the Samaritans, nor hypocriti- 
cally as the Pharisees, but with knowledge and 
good will, according to the nature of man. 

2. God is "the searcher of hearts" (Eom. viii. 



20 FUNDAMENTAL IDEAS OF RELIGION. 

27). — Yes, who rewards even a drink of cold water 
given in His name! (Mark ix. 40.) 

5. Is the Form of Religion Optional? 

The form or manner of paying the debt of Re- 
ligion is not optional, but has always been pre- 
scribed by God. When man contracts a debt 
toward a fellow man in daily life, the creditor 
always has the right to specify the time, the place, 
and other circumstances of payment. If this is 
just when man deliberately contracts a debt, how 
much more ought it to apply to those debts which 
are imposed upon him by his very nature or by 
the Author of his being? God, therefore, has the 
right to prescribe the form in which the debt 
of Religion must be paid. Still, God was not 
bound to specify the manner in which the debt 
of Religion should be paid. If He wished, He 
could have left it to man's choice. He might 
have said to man, as a friend to a friend, or as 
a father to a child, "I leave it to your pleasure 
to pay Me the debt of Religion when, where, and 
as you like; but pay it you must." Such liberty 
might at first seem a great boon to man; but in 
reality it would be as dangerous as poison in the 
hand of a child. Man would defer, and finally 
neglect to pay this first and most sacred debt. 
Hence, God really confers a favor upon man by 
determining the form of Religion and making 
that form obligatory. In point of fact, history 



WHAT HISTORY SATS. 21 

shows that God has never left anything to the 
determination of man in this matter. 

Objections. 

1. One religion is as good as another. — If God 
had said this, it would be true of Eeligion in har- 
mony with Christian reason. Now "the wish is 
father to the thought." 

2. Are not. all forms of religion equally good? 
— No; not all have God for their Author. 

3. My conscience is my guide. — Your consci- 
ence may be false. The dictates of a true con- 
science are in accordance with the Law of God. 

4. History shows some religions to be of human 
origin. — Yes; but all these are so many human 
counterfeits of the divine original. 

6. What Does History Say? 

History says that God never left the form of 
Eeligion to the choice of man. In reviewing the 
history of the human race from the first record of 
events to the present day, we find that God has al- 
ways prescribed how man should pay the debt of 
Religion that it might be acceptable to Him. We 
find, moreover, that the form of Eeligion has not 
always been the same in detail, but that God has 
changed the form of Eeligion from time to time, 
as circumstances required. Thus we know that 
in the very beginning of the world an acceptable 
form of Eeligion was established. This form we 
to-day call the patriarchal, or family, Eeligion. 



22 FUNDAMENTAL IDEAS OF RELIGION. 

We do not know so much of that remote period 
as our curiosity might desire; but we must admit 
that a form of Religion existed then which had 
God for its Author. We know, for example, that 
our first parents believed the same fundamental 
truths that we believe to-day. They kept holy 
the Sabbath day and worshiped God by prayer 
and sacrifice. With the coming of Moses, this 
primeval form of Religion ceased for God's 
chosen people. Through him God fulfilled the 
promise made to Abraham, for Moses gathered to- 
gether the children of Israel and formed them 
into a mighty nation. Thenceforth God was to 
be their King and they to be His people. But 
the patriarchal, or family, Religion was unsuited 
to the wants of a nation. Through Moses God, 
therefore, changed the acceptable form of Relig- 
ion. From a family Religion He made it a na- 
tional Religion — national in faith, national in 
law, and national in worship. Additional truths 
were revealed; positive laws were promulgated; 
a national priesthood was chosen and ordained; 
a national temple was erected; a magnificent 
ceremonial, most minute in all details, was pre- 
scribed — and all by almighty God Himself. 
Xo thing was left to be determined by man. 

After centuries had rolled by, "the Expected 
of nations," the God-Man Himself, appeared 
among men. He came not to abrogate the Law 
or the prophets, but to fulfil them. In doing 
this, He changed the national, or Mosaic, form of 



PRACTICAL RELIGION. 23 

Religion into a universal, or Catholic, form of 
Religion, adapted to the wants of all nations and 
of all times. By means of this form of Religion 
the Saviour offered "peace to all men of good will." 
The deposit of faith was now completed; the law 
of charity was promulgated; a universal priest- 
hood was established; "an acceptable sacrifice" 
was instituted. In one word, everything was pre- 
scribed and ordained by the Saviour that man 
must do to pay God the debt of Religion in a 
way to profit by "the glad tidings of salvation." 
This dispensation, the Saviour declared, would 
last to the end of time. 

Objections, 

1. Before the time of Moses man was free to 
worship God or not. — If that were true, Noe 
would not have preached repentance to the people 
for one hundred years, and the Deluge would not 
have taken place. 

2. Why did the heathens adopt so many forms 
of worship? — St. Paul says that God delivered 
them up to a reprobate sense, on account of their 
sins (Rom. i 28). 

7. Practical Religion. 

Practical Religion is the payment of the debt 
of Religion. It is the practice of the virtue of 
Religion. Of all the virtues of the moral order 
Religion occupies the highest place. It holds 
this place of distinction not only on account of 



24 FUNDAMENTAL IDEAS OF RELIGION. 

the dignity of Him whom it honors, but especially 
on account of the close relationship with Himself 
with which God has honored man. The practice 
of Eeligion should, therefore, appeal to every 
man of good will as his first and most sacred duty. 
Some persons think of God only when they are 
in distress. Such conduct is selfish and unjust. 

AVe should pray to God at least at stated times, 
so that "His kingdom may come" to us. We 
should worship Him as He prescribes. To in- 
sure the continuance of His favors, we should 
thank Him frequently for favors received, as Our 
Saviour teaches us by His own example. For the 
same reason, we should cultivate a spirit of com- 
punction, or sorrow, for the sins of our life. 
Being sinners who "offend in many things," we 
should bear in mind that we are beggars at the 
throne of God's mercy. 

Eeligion should be practised as God has or- 
dained. He is the great, the universal Creditor; 
we are all His debtors. No sane person ventures 
to dictate to an earthly creditor; and yet some 
persons are so presumptuous as to dictate to the 
Almighty ! Ignorance alone can excuse those who 
say like little children, "I will do this or that, and 
then God must take me to heaven." To all man- 
kind God has said, "I call heaven and earth to 
witness this day that I have set before you life 
and death, blessing and cursing. Choose life, 
therefore, that both thou and thy seed may live * 
(Deut. xxx. 19). 



IS RELIGION NECESSARY? 25 

Objections. 

1. What difference does it make what Eeligion 
I profess, so long as I practise it ? — Where is your 
common sense ? Can you pay a debt as well with 
counterfeit money as with gold ? 

2. As long as a man is honest, it does not mat- 
ter what Eeligion he professes. — The first duty of 
an honest man is to seek the truth and follow it. 
"Seek and you shall find" (Matt. vii. 7). 

3. God does not concern Himself about for- 
malities. — "A contrite and humble heart, Lord, 
thou wilt not despise," says the Psalmist. "That 
servant who knew the will of his Lord and pre- 
pared not himself, and did not according to His 
will, shall be beaten with many stripes. But he 
who knew it not, and did things worthy of stripes, 
shall be beaten with few stripes" (Luke xii. 47,48). 

4. God is good and will overlook my negligence. 
— God is both good and just. He gives us choice 
of eternal life or death, but He will judge us ac- 
cording to our works. 

8. Is Religion Necessary? 

Eeligion is most necessary for man. It is to 
the advantage of the individual to cultivate the 
good will of Him on whom he entirely depends. 
Man is constantly in the power of God. From 
Him comes life with all its blessings. Even though 
it were only a matter of choice, self-interest should 
therefore prompt man to practise Eeligion. But 



26 Fundamental ideas of religion. 

since Eeligion is a debt imposed by God, its prac- 
tice becomes an absolute moral necessity for man. 
Moreover, in daily life Eeligion is necessary 
also as a stimulus to other virtues. In fact, it is 
impossible to conceive a moral order without that 
immutable standard of right and wrong which 
Eeligion alone can furnish; while in civil affairs, 
the stability of the state would be jeopardized by 
the absence of Eeligion. The words of the ancient 
Plutarch are still true to-day: "It would be 
easier," he said, "to build a city in the air, than 
to establish and perpetuate a government without 
any religious influence." Cicero declares that 
"All nature worships God, and there is no one 
who is ignorant of this obligation." St. Paul, no 
doubt, had this truth in mind when, writing of 
the heathens of his day, he said, "Because they 
knew God and did not glorify Him as God, He 
gave them up to the desire of their heart" (Eom. 
i. 21-24). 

Objections. 

1. I am doing well without Eeligion. — That is 
a bad sign. For those whom God cannot reward 
in heaven, He rewards here below for the little good 
they may do. 

2. Ethical culture has supplanted Eeligion as 
a moral guide. — That will never be true. To prac- 
tise morality without Eeligion is like hanging a 
garment on the wall without any means of support. 

3. Etiquette governs the external world. — 



MEANING OF THE TRUE RELIGION. 27 

Without the influence of Eeligion, etiquette is 
nothing else than conventional hypocrisy. 

4. The state has long ago been divorced from 
Eeligion. — This is a misconception. To-day some 
states or governments no longer maintain a close 
alliance with a particular form of Eeligion. 

5. In civil affairs the majority rules. — Unless 
the majority be leavened by Eeligion its rule will 
not be wise and just, but will degenerate into brute 
force. 

9. What Is Meant by the True Religion ? 

The true Eeligion is that Eeligion which has 
the authority and sanction of almighty God. 
Being the Creator of mankind, God certainly ex- 
ercises His right in prescribing how man should 
pay Him the debt of Eeligion. That form of Ee- 
ligion, therefore, which originates with God and 
is made obligatory by Him for a certain period of 
time is the true Eeligion of that time; thus, the 
Eeligion of Christ is the Eeligion of our time. A 
convincing proof of the excellence of a thing is 
the fact that it has been frequently counterfeited. 
Judged by the universal standard, the excellence 
of the true Eeligion is apparent to every one ; for 
history testifies that nothing has ever been more 
counterfeited than the true Eeligion which God 
has established. This then is a simple test of the 
genuineness of a form of Eeligion: Is it pre- 
scribed by God ? If it is prescribed by God, it is 
the true Eeligion. If it is not prescribed by God ? 



28 FUNDAMENTAL IDEAS OF RELIGION. 

then, no matter how fascinating its doctrine, no 
matter how "up-to-date" its service, it is only a 
human counterfeit. 

Objections. 

1. Is man not free to practise Eeligion as he 
chooses? — We have seen that Eeligion is a debt 
which man must pay as God, his creditor, pre- 
scribes. 

2. Every Eeligion is true. — Only that form of 
Eeligion is true which is instituted and enjoined 
by God. 

3. Every Eeligion worships God. — To worship 
God in a way He has not prescribed is superstition, 
and not Eeligion. 

io. Can there Be More than one True Religion? 

There can be but one true Eeligion at any time. 
It is, evidently, the prerogative of almighty God 
to establish the true Eeligion. In the exercise of 
this right, God has never established or recognized 
simultaneously two forms of Eeligion. Several 
reasons may be advanced in explanation of this 
conduct. In the first place, if all men are to be- 
lieve the same truths, the unity of truth likewise 
demands the unity of Eeligion. For it is evident 
that of all the forms of Eeligion advocated by 
man, no two inculcate the same faith, the same 
law, and the same practice. In fact, they often 
contradict one another. To suppose God to be 
the author of all would, therefore, not only im- 



NOT MORE THAN ONE TRUE RELIGION. 29 

pugn the veracity of God, but also make truth 
and error identical. Such conduct, knowingly 
and willingly pursued, would evidently be as blas- 
phemous as it would be illogical. 

Even the very nature of Eeligion demands its 
unity. The true form of Eeligion must of ne- 
cessity be founded on a true knowledge of God 
and correspond to His relationship with man. 
Now, we know that man, in consequence of this 
relationship, owes God a greater debt of adora- 
tion, thanksgiving, supplication, and satisfaction 
since the time of Christ than he did before. More- 
over, we have already seen that this debt must be 
paid not only in mind and heart, but also in ex- 
ternal action; yet among all the religions of to- 
day we look in vain for more than one that can 
justly claim to pay the entire debt. We must, 
therefore, conclude that God established only one 
true Eeligion for our day. We can even go a step 
farther and say that, in the present economy, God 
could establish only one true Eeligion for this 
period of time. Therefore we believe with St. 
Paul, that as there is but one God, so there is but 
"one Lord, one faith, one baptism" (Eph. iv. 5). 

Objections. 

1. Were not the patriarchal and the Jewish 
religions true religions ? — Certainly, but not at the 
same time. The one form ceased when the other 
was promulgated. 



30 FUNDAMENTAL IDEAS OF RELIGION. 

2. Is the Jewish Eeligion the true Religion to- 
day ? — No ; it has been supplanted by the Religion 
which Jesus Christ established. 

ii. Must Man Know the True Religion? 

Man must know the true Religion and practise 
it to save his soul. Man must know and perform 
those duties which are essential to his welfare as 
a free agent. Man's reason tells him that he came 
from God, is dependent on God, and must return 
to God. Man's first and most sacred duty to 
himself, therefore, is to cultivate the good will of 
Him on whom he entirely depends. This is im- 
possible without the knowledge and practice of the 
true Religion. Hence, if a person should, unfor- 
tunately, grow up without any Religion, or in 
the practice of a Religion that causes him anxiety, 
he is in duty bound to investigate, till every doubt 
is cleared up and every difficulty solved. Then it 
is his duty to embrace and practise that Religion 
which he discovers to be the true Religion; for 
he would, indeed, be a greater sinner if "he knew 
his Master's will and did it not." Every human 
being should, besides, know his essential obliga- 
tions towards almighty God. And yet, is it not 
evident that man's essential obligations towards 
himself are identical with his first obligations to- 
wards his Lord and God? Justice as well as self- 
interest should, therefore, prompt man to study 
attentively the claims of Religion and to embrace 



KNOWING THE TRUE RELIGION. 31 

that form which he finds to have been established 
by the Lord and Master Himself. 

This seemingly complex proposition may be 
stated more simply and clearly, as follows: God 
is at home in heaven. He admits to its happiness 
whom He wills. For man to be welcomed to 
heaven after death, he must have heeded God's 
invitation and done His holy will during life. 
Hence the Saviour says, "He that doth the will 
of My Father who is in heaven, he shall enter the 
kingdom of heaven" (Matt. vii. 21). 

Objections. 

1. Man cannot know the true Eeligion. — This 
is a mistake. The Saviour declares that His 
Church is like a city built on a mountain which 
all can see. All that are "of good will" 'and perse- 
vere in humble prayer God enlightens and leads 
to the true fold. 

2. The agnostic says, We can have no certitude 
in this world. — When a person persists in making 
an assertion which is neither supported by the evi- 
dence of facts nor sanctioned by the testimony of 
common sense, he ought to be an object of solici- 
tude for his friends, if not confined in a home 
for the feeble-minded. 

12. How can Man Know the True Religion? 

Man can know the true Eeligion only from God. 
We have seen that Eeligion is a debt which man 



32 FUNDAMENTAL IDEAS OF RELIGION. 

owes to God. We have also seen that God, as the 
creditor of mankind, has the right to prescribe 
how this debt is to be paid to Him. Now, history 
tells us that God has exercised this right by re- 
vealing the true Eeligion to mankind. It also 
tells us that to protect His Religion against cor- 
ruption and thereby render man certain of it, 
God has delegated a body of men to teach the true 
Eeligion in His name to all of good will. To 
them the God-Man has said, "He that heareth 
you heareth Me" (Luke x. 16). Man can, there- 
fore, learn the true Religion authentically only 
from the revelation of God as it is taught by that 
body of men whom He has appointed its teachers. 

Objections. 

1. God inspires every man with the true Re- 
ligion. — The absurdity of this assertion is evident 
to any thinking mind. 

2. Every man can interpret God's revelation as 
he pleases. — This gratuitous assertion is contrary 
to the express will of God. 

3. Great men have always interpreted the word 
of God. — The credentials of a divine teacher con- 
sist essentially in a divine mission. For, asks St. 
Paul, "How shall they preach unless they be sent ?" 
(Rom. x. 15.) 

13. What Certainty can Man have of the 
True Religion ? 

Man can have divine certainty of the true Re- 



MAN'S CERTAINTY OF THE TRUE RELIGION. 33 

ligion. Man can have that certainty in religious 
matters which God is pleased to give him. Now 
God, being infinitely good, naturally desires to 
give the greatest certainty to all Who sincerely 
desire to walk in the way of salvation. He has, 
therefore, given man a divine criterion of His 
revelation as well as of the true Eeligion which 
He has established. This criterion is a manifest 
intervention in the laws of nature which He has 
established and which He alone controls — a mar- 
velous event, out of the ordinary course of nature, 
which can be produced by God alone. When this 
event is an exception to the physical laws of nature, 
it is called a miracle. When it is the explicit fore- 
telling of events known only to God, it is called 
a prophecy. We shall consider miracles, prophe- 
cies, and other kindred subjects, in the second 
part of this book. Suffice it for the present to 
know that when God gave man a revelation from 
heaven and established the true Eeligion, He con- 
firmed the same by miracles and prophecies. 
History testifies that this criterion was especially 
manifest during the establishment and early prop- 
agation of the true Eeligion. History also testi- 
fies that this criterion has never been wanting to 
the true Eeligion to the present day. On the 
other hand, no other Eeligion can prove any claim 
to this "sign from heaven." Hence, man can have 
divine certainty of the true Eeligion, if he desires 
it and is really "of good will." 



34 FUNDAMENTAL IDEAS OF RELIGION. 

Objections. 

1. If divine certainty can be had in religious 
matters, why do so many live in uncertainty? — 
Because they lack the practical good will to seek 
that certainty. 

2. But you will admit that some persons are 
laboring under many disadvantages in religious 
matters. — This is true; but it is equally true that 
God is so good that, if necessary, He would even 
send an angel from heaven to aid any one who 
is doing all he can to know and fulfil His holy will. 

14. What does the True Religion Ordain ? 

The true Religion ordains directly those inter- 
nal and external acts which are necessary for the 
payment of the debt of adoration, thanksgiving, 
supplication, and satisfaction. Indirectly, how- 
ever, the true Religion imposes on man the obli- 
gation of promoting the honor and glory of God, 
his own welfare, as well as the good of his neigh- 
bor, by the practice of every Christian virtue and 
the observance of every just law. The true Re- 
ligion commands man to respect the liberty of his 
neighbor in religious matters and to abstain from 
all superstitious practices. The specific acts of 
the virtue of Religion, as taught by right reason, 
are of two kinds, obligatory and optional. The 
obligator}- acts are devotion, prayer, adoration and 
worship, sacrifice, repentance, divine praise, and 
material offering. The optional acts are vows, 
oaths, and adjurations. By these acts man 



DEVOTION. 35 

acknowledges, according to his entire nature, the 
dignity of God as well as his dependence upon 
Him. For he thereby (1) gives himself to God 
and (2) devotes the things of God to His honor 
and glory. 

Man gives his mind and heart to God by devo- 
tion, prayer, adoration, and repentance. He gives 
his entire self, as well as his temporal goods, to 
God by repentance, worship, sacrifice, oblation, 
and vows. Man devotes the things of God to His 
honor and glory by divine praise, lawful oaths and 
adjurations, and also by the sanctification of cer- 
tain days, by the worthy reception of the sacra- 
ments and the proper use of the sacramentals. As 
a preparation for these specific acts, Eeligion 
binds the mind of man to accept the truths pro- 
posed by reason and faith. It binds the will to 
hope for life eternal and the means conducive to 
its attainment, according to the promise of God. 
It inclines the heart to love God for His own sake, 
because He has loved man first. "Thus," says St. 
Augustine, "God is worshiped by practical faith, 
hope, and charity." 

15. What is Devotion ? 

Devotion is an inclination of the will to God. 
It naturally results, on the one hand, from a 
knowledge of God's goodness and love for man, 
and on the other hand, from a realization of man's 
frailty and infirmity. In proportion as he realizes 
these truths in daily life, will man cling to God. 



36 FUNDAMENTAL IDEAS OF RELIGION. 

But, alas ! instead of keeping these truths fresh in 
mind by daily reflection, man often becomes so 
absorbed in the honors, riches, and pleasures of 
life, that he imperceptibly grows oblivious of their 
very existence. At times he even sinks so low as 
to lose all relish for those higher truths which 
alone can render him truly contented and happy. 

As a habit, devotion manifests itself by the fer- 
vor with which it adorns the acts of Eeligion, as 
well as by the pious practices which it engenders. 
Without this habit, man finds the debt of Eeligion 
irksome. Hence it frequently happens that 
through this want of devotion people neglect to 
pay God the debt of Eeligion, just as through 
want of fraternal charity they slight the just 
claims of their neighbor. When devotion is gen- 
uine and habitual, it is nourished, increased, and 
perfected by communing with God in the joys and 
trials of daily life. But semi-sentimental devo- 
tion, nourished amid the enervating delusions of 
unreality, will be severely tried in adversity. If it 
does not disappear entirely, like vapor before the 
rising sun, it may be gradually purified and 
strengthened by severe trials. Mere sentimental 
devotion is not the fruit of serious reflection on 
the goodness of God and the frailty of man. Like 
a mushroom, it results from the favorable physi- 
cal and climatic conditions of environment. When 
these are changed, it inevitably withers and dies. 

There is also in daily life a malicious counter- 
feit devotion. This hypocritical devotion has al- 



PRAYER. 37 

ways been the bane of true piety and Eeligion. At 
first sight, it appears to be a genuine overflow of 
the heart's affections. But it is a mere sham. 
Like a new garment, it is worn only on special 
occasions. It transforms the sinner of Saturday 
night into a saint on Sunday morning. Such 
devotion suggests to the mind of the honest ob- 
server the words of Our Saviour to the Pharisees : 
"Woe to you, hypocrites, because you make clean 
the outside of the cup and of the dish, but with- 
in you are full of rapine and uncleanness" (Matt, 
xxiii. 25). 

16. What is Prayer ? 

Strictly speaking, prayer is a pious elevation of 
the mind to God to thank Him for His favors or 
to ask His help; in ordinary usage, however, it 
means only asking God's aid. Eealizing the evi- 
dence of God's infinite goodness, man naturally 
appreciates the privilege of prayer. He approaches 
his Maker in spirit to thank Him for the favors 
of the past, and to place his present and future 
wants before Him. This request for divine help 
may be made in three different ways. When a 
particular grace is asked, it is called a petition. 
Thus David petitioned the Lord to "create a clean 
heart in him" (Ps. 1. 12). When God's help is 
implored in a general way, the prayer is called a 
supplication. Thus the Psalmist prayed, "God, 
hasten to my aid" (Ps. lxix. 2). Finally, when 
the reason of the request is stated, the prayer is 



38 FUNDAMENTAL IDEAS OF RELIGION. 

called an obsecration. This reason may exist 
either on the part of God or on the part of man. 
On the part of God, the reasons are very numer- 
ous. Thus, for example, we say, "By Thy death 
and Resurrection, Lord, deliver us." On the 
part of man, there exists but one valid reason, 
viz., gratitude for favors received. Gratitude 
merits a continuance of favors. 

The very nature of prayer suggests its essen- 
tial qualities. If man is a beggar and God the 
Creator infinitely rich, man ought naturally ad- 
vert to his own poverty and God's dignity. He 
will then pray with that attention and reverence 
which should characterize every true prayer. The 
thought of God's goodness and promise of assist- 
ance should inspire man with confidence. His 
solicitude for his own welfare should prompt man, 
on the one hand, to remove the obstacles to his 
obtaining divine aid, and on the other, to perse- 
vere in prayer through life. 

Prayer is called the great means of salvation, 
because it is the first and universal means of sub- 
jecting the free will of man to that divine influ- 
ence which is necessary not only for the practice 
of virtue, but also for life eternal. 

Objections. 

1. God knows my wants; why should I tell 
them to Him? — God commands us to pray; be- 
sides, we do not pray to reveal our wants to God, 



DIVINE ADORATION AND WORSHIP. 39 

but freely to subject our minds and hearts to His 
influence. 

2. God knows whether I shall be saved; why, 
then, should I pray? — To be saved. He that per- 
severes in prayer shall be saved, says St. Alphonsus, 
the Doctor of Prayer. 

3. I always forget to pray. — That indicates that 
you are carnal or worldly-minded. This is a la- 
mentable state, from which you can escape only by 
a serious effort. 

4. I do not need any special help. — Are you 
better than the rest of mankind ? If so, be doubly 
grateful for the grace you have received and pray 
for its continuance. 

17. What is Divine Adoration and Worship ? 

Divine adoration and worship is that reveren- 
tial honor and absolute submission which man 
manifests to God on account of His supreme ex- 
cellence. In English "divine adoration" is usually 
applied to the private, and "divine worship" to 
the public, or liturgical, manifestation of honor 
and submission to God as the supreme Lord and 
Master. Both adoration and worship have special 
reference to God as the Creator, though they also 
refer to Him in every other relationship with 
which He has honored man. 

As a private act, adoration, especially when 
merely internal, may be performed with propriety 
at any time and in any place; still, there are spe- 
cial times and places and circumstances which 



40 FUNDAMENTAL IDEAS OF RELIGION. 

give God a particular claim to the adoration of 
man. Thus, for example, it is customary among 
Christians to adore God at morning and at night. 
It is of obligation to do so on the Lord's day. A 
sense of propriety suggests that in a place dedi- 
cated to His honor, God has a more special claim 
to the adoration of man than in the public streets. 
So the circumstances of a severe trial should 
prompt man to adore God's inscrutable provi- 
dence, just as a signal favor suggests the debt of 
gratitude, a grave difficulty the necessity of re- 
doubled prayer, and the commission of a serious 
fault the obligation of repentance and reparation. 

The words of the poet Dryden in regard to the 
form of worship are clear and to the point. He 
says, "By reason man a Godhead can discern, But 
how He should be worshipp'd cannot learn." 

Eeason proclaims the obligation of external, 
public worship, but it is silent in regard to the 
form acceptable to God. Here sacred history 
comes to man's aid. It tells him that the form 
of worship acceptable to God has always been 
prescribed by God. The testimony of history in 
regard to the form of Eeligion, in general, has 
special value in regard to the form of external 
worship acceptable to God. For this is essentially 
the public, solemn expression of the true Religion 
of the time. 

18. What is Sacrifice ? 

Sacrifice is the offering of an object to God 



SACRIFICE. 41 

and the destruction of the same, to acknowledge 
His supreme dominion and man's subjection to 
Him. Sacrifice has universally been regarded as 
*the very essence of divine adoration and worship. 
It is, therefore, of private as well as of public 
obligation. The individual must offer his in- 
ordinate inclinations on the altar of his heart and 
destroy the same by the fire of divine charity, as a 
sacrifice acceptable to God. He is also bound to 
offer some external sacrifice to acknowledge his 
dependence on God as an individual and as a 
member of the community. History testifies that 
external sacrifice to God is as natural for man as 
homage to a temporal ruler. Even before the time 
of Moses, while the family Eeligion was still the 
true form of Eeligion, man offered sacrifice to 
God. The choice of the object sacrificed before 
the time of Moses in all probability rested with 
man. Thus we read that Cain offered a sacrifice 
of the fruits of the earth, and Abel of the first- 
lings of his flock. Again we read that, after the 
Deluge, Noe sacrificed "of all the animals and 
fowls that were clean" to the Lord. Of Melchise- 
dech it is recorded that he was a priest of the Most 
High and offered "a sacrifice of bread and wine." 
And of holy Job it is said that, "rising up early, 
he offered holocausts for every one of his chil- 
dren." When Moses promulgated the law which 
now bears his name, he at the same time pre- 
scribed a solemn liturgy, which has won the ad- 
miration of succeeding ages. Though this divinely 



42 FUNDAMENTAL IDEAS OF RELIGION. 

composed liturgy curtailed many individual privi- 
leges, it typified in many ways and fore- 
shadowed the great sacrifice of the Son of God on 
Calvary. 

As has been foretold by Daniel the prophet (ix. 
27), the sacrifices of the Mosaic dispensation 
ceased to be acceptable when that one true sacri- 
fice of the New Law was offered by Jesus Christ. 
From that time unto the present day only this 
"clean oblation," or sacrifice of the New Law, 
foretold by Malachy, is acceptable to the Most 
High. By this sacrifice, as St. Paul teaches, 
Christ, "the priest forever according to the order 
of Melchisedech," through the instrumentality of 
His chosen priest, is offering Himself to His 
heavenly Father "from the rising of the sun to 
the going down thereof (Mai. i. 11). Thus He 
"is ever making intercession for us" (Hebr. vii. 
25). 

19. Who is the Priest? 

The priest is the person who offers sacrifice to 
God. According to the natural law, every wor- 
shiper could offer his own sacrifice. In the 
primeval dispensation, history informs us, the 
patriarch, or father, usually offered the sacrifice 
for the entire family or tribe. On special oc- 
casions, however, this was also done by one who 
on account of his personal qualities and position 
was looked upon as a priest of the Most High, 
though he might belong to another family. 



TEE PRIEST. 43 

In the Mosaic dispensation God took the right 
of sacrifice from the individual and vested it in 
the family of Levi. Indeed the curtailment of 
these personal prerogatives seems to have fur- 
nished Core, Dathan, and Abiron with their pre- 
text, if not with their reason, for raising a sedition 
against Moses (Num. xvi). In this dispensation 
the priest became, by God's design, not only the 
teacher of His people, but also the ruler in spirit- 
ual matters, with extensive power in civil affairs. 
In the New Law, Christ made His priests the 
true mediators between Himself and the faithful. 
He authorized them to offer the sacrifice which 
He had offered, saying, "Do this in commemora- 
tion of Me" (Luke xxii. 19; 1 Cor. xi. 24). He 
delegated to them His own divine authority to 
teach, govern and minister in spiritual things. 
"All power is given to Me in heaven and on 
earth/' He said. "Go ye, therefore, teach all na- 
tions, baptizing them in the name of the Father 
and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost, teaching 
them to observe' all things whatsoever I have com- 
manded you. And behold I am with you all days, 
even to the consummation of the world" (Matt, 
xxviii. 18-20). 

To be a true priest in the new dispensation a 
person must (1) be called by God, like Moses and 
Aaron of old or like the Apostles and disciples 
by Christ. (2) He must have qualified himself for 
his vocation by study and prayer. And above all, 
(3) he must have been lawfully ordained and com- 



44 FUNDAMENTAL IDEAS OF RELIGION. 

missioned by one who has that power as a lawful 
successor of the Apostles. 

20. What is Repentance ? 

Repentance is the reparation for transgression 
of God's law. Man makes this reparation by re- 
turning to God with sorrow for the offences of 
the past, united to a firm purpose of fidelity in 
the future. A child may truly love its parents and 
yet cause them some displeasure; so man may be 
Virtuous and yet commit some faults through 
human frailty. But as a child cannot love its 
faults more than its parents and still be pleasing 
in their sight, so man turns away from God in 
proportion as he makes friends with his faults. 
If, therefore, an honorable man is ever ready to 
apologize to his neighbor, even for unintentional 
faults, how much more should he be ready to do 
the same to God? This apology, or reparation, 
which man makes to God is prompted by grief 
for the sins of the past and proves its sincerity 
especially by fidelity to God in the future. 

When man realizes the gratuitous goodness of 
God which opens to him the way to that repent- 
ance on which his final happiness depends, he will 
see the necessity of cultivating repentance, not 
only as a matter of religious justice, but also as a 
grateful acknowledgment of God's condescending 
mercy. "A contrite and humble heart" will in- 
spire man to "watch and pray." Thus will he 
realize the importance of the warfare between the 



DIVINE PRAISE. 45 

spirit and the flesh; thus will he discover the 
cause of his past infidelity; and thus will he be 
able to show his loyalty by avoiding the occasions 
of relapse. Then will the grace which comes in 
answer to his prayers crown his firm purpose of 
amendment with success. This was the thought 
in the mind of the Psalmist when he said, "A 
contrite and humble heart, Lord, Thou wilt not 
despise" (Ps. 1. 19). 

2i. Divine Praise. 

Divine praise is the extolling of God on ac- 
count of His infinite perfections. Man has a 
different reason for praising God than for prais- 
ing his neighbor. He praises his neighbor by 
making known to him or to others his approval 
of his conduct, to encourage him or to inspire 
others to emulate him. Man needs no words to 
manifest his sentiments to God: He is "the 
searcher of hearts," who has no need of man's 
encouragement. Man, therefore, praises God to 
increase in himself reverence and devotion for 
God and to increase the same in others by his word 
and example. Divine praise is therefore useful 
and necessary for man to inflame his affections 
for God. Hence the Holy Spirit says by the 
mouth of the Psalmist, "The sacrifice of praise 
shall glorify Me, and there is the way by which 
I will show him the salvation of God" (Ps. xlix. 
23). 



46 FUNDAMENTAL IDEAS OF RELIGION. 

22. Material Offerings. 

Man must make some material offering for the 
good of Eeligion. God is deserving not only of 
man's best thought and affection, but also of the 
fruit of his labors. According to the natural law, 
man should, therefore, make some material offer- 
ing to God as a token of his gratitude for favors 
received. Besides, the wants of every society, 
whether religious, civil, social or fraternal, must 
be supplied by the members of the society. As a 
member of a religious society man is, therefore, 
doubly bound to make some material offering. 
The nature and extent of this offering, however, 
are not specified by the law of nature, but are left 
to the choice of the individual or prescribed by 
positive law. Thus, the law of Moses prescribed 
oblations, first-fruits, and tithes. An oblation 
was an offering to the divine worship. Custom 
still retains this in the form of "Sunday offerings" 
or collections. The first-fruits and the tithes were 
annual offerings for the maintenance of the Tem- 
ple and the support of the clergy. These have 
their counterpart in the pew-rent assessment or 
subscriptions of to-day. As among our people 
the material expenses of Religion are usually borne 
directly by the members of the congregation, every 
parishioner who does not belong to the poor of 
Christ is bound in justice to the other members 
to bear his honest, proportionate share of the 
burdens. The entire congregation, on its part, 



OPTIONAL ACTS OF RELIGION. 47 

is bound in justice to give the ministering priest 
the means of an honest living. For "the laborer 
is worthy of his hire" (Matt. x. 10) ; and the 
priest who "serves the altar should live by the 
altar" (1 Cor. ix. 13). 

23. Sanctification of Certain Days. 

Eeason prescribes that some time should be de- 
voted to the service of Eeligion. Time is a 
precious gift of God. If a man grants the obliga- 
tion of devoting a part of God's gifts to the di- 
vine service, he will certainly admit that he ought 
to "sanctify to the Lord" some of the time on 
which his eternity depends. For this evident 
reason God prescribed the sanctification of the 
Sabbath even in patriarchal times. So much 
did God insist on the observance of this law 
among the Israelites, that He judged those 
worthy of death who wantonly violated it. 

24. Optional Acts. 

The optional acts of Eeligion are vows, oaths, 
and adjurations. A vow is a deliberate promise 
made to God to do something specially pleasing in 
His sight. Like any other deliberate promise of 
man, a vow is of strict obligation according to the 
intention of the person who made it. Hence the 
Psalmist says, "Pay thy vows to the Most High" 
(Ps. xlix. 14). An oath is the calling of God 
to witness that the speaker is telling the truth. 
The common welfare as well as the good of an 



48 FUNDAMENTAL IDEAS OF RELIGION. 

individual may justify a person in the reverent 
use of an oath. An adjuration is the invocation 
of God or holy things as a means of influencing 
a person to grant a request or to comply with a 
demand. An adjuration, to be lawful, should be 
made with honesty and discretion in behalf of a 
just cause. 

25. Religious Ceremonies. 

A religious ceremony is the outward expression 
of reverence and devotion in the performance of 
an act of Eeligion. It may be either private or 
public. A private religious ceremony consists in 
a reverential and devout manner in performing 
religious acts. A public religious ceremony in 
the strict sense is one which is performed in 
the name of the public ; but as usually understood, 
it denotes a ceremony in which the public takes 
part. Both private and public ceremonies are in 
accordance with the promptings of the human 
heart, as well as pleasing to God. In fact, we can- 
not imagine man paying God the debt of Religion 
as he ought without the use of ceremony. Being 
composed of soul and body, he is bound by his 
very nature to honor God not only "in spirit and 
in truth," which is essential, but also in external 
action. Now, religious ceremonies, constituting 
as they do the manner of ^practical external Re- 
ligion, are not only a necessary accompaniment 
of all external religious acts, but also an incen- 
tive to, as well as an indication of, genuine in- 



RELIGIOUS LIBERTY. 49 

terior devotion. In consequence of this fact, the 
skill of the painter, of the sculptor, the architect, 
and the musician has been employed throughout 
all ages to supply the requirements of religious 
ceremonials. 

However, if any one desire a divine approval of 
the devout outpouring of religious fervor in cere- 
monial splendor, let him open the Book of Le- 
viticus. It is there that God prescribes most 
minutely the variety, the solemnity, and the 
splendor of the religious ceremonies with which 
His chosen people of old were to pay Him the debt 
of Eeligion. 

Objections. 

1. I don't believe in religious ceremonies. — 
And very probably don't practise much Eeligion. 

2. I don't believe in overdoing a thing. — That 
is right. Be always sober and temperate. But do 
not on that account underdo your Eeligion. 

3. Ceremonies only captivate the heart. — That 
is their object, to captivate the heart of God and 
of man. 

4. Man had better worship God only "in spirit 
and in truth." — Not unless he is but spirit and 
truth. 

26. Religious Liberty. 

Eeligious liberty is the right of every human 
being to practise the true Eeligion as he under- 
stands it. The practice of the true Eeligion is 



50 FUNDAMENTAL IDEAS OF RELIGION. 

man's first and most sacred obligation. Perfect 
liberty in its practice must therefore be man's 
sacred and inalienable right. When considering 
the question of religious liberty in a practical 
light, the difference between internal and ex- 
ternal worship must be borne in mind. The former 
takes place solely in the mind or heart. The 
latter is always consummated externally. The 
former is perceived only by God, the latter is 
evident to God and man. The former never con- 
flicts seriously with a neighbor's rights, the latter 
may rob him of his peace and disturb him in 
the pursuit of happiness; the former is amenable 
to God alone, the latter to the law of man as well. 

The most sacred duty of parents is to educate 
the child, to bring it up as a worthy citizen and 
a true heir to the kingdom of heaven. It is con- 
sequently also the corresponding right of the 
parents to instruct the child, not only in the arts 
and sciences, but also to incline its heart to God 
by a thorough religious education. 

The individual human being has this general 
right and duty towards his neighbor, not to inter- 
fere with nor be interfered with in the exercise 
of his personal religious liberty. As the common 
temporal good is the direct object of the state, the 
state has no direct right to coerce its subjects in 
religious matters. But the state can and should 
protect its subjects in their personal rights. It 
may thus be called on to interfere indirectly in 
religious matters. The state may, besides, see the 



SUPERSTITION. 51 

necessity of Eeligion for the permanence of the 
temporal welfare of its subjects. Thus again it 
may be justified in exerting itself indirectly in 
favor of the practice of the true Eeligion. 

Objections. 

1. I can believe what I like. — Yes, without 
serious injury to your neighbor. But in your 
practice you have no right to force your opinions 
on your neighbor, to scandalize him or injure the 
common good. Your neighbor has equal religious 
liberty. 

2. I am at liberty xo practise any Eeligion I 
like. — Provided you respect the rights of your 
neighbor you can do many things without human 
interference. 

27. Superstition. 

Superstition is the false practice of Eeligion. 
The word superstition is derived from the Latin 
"super" and "statutum," and literally means 
"something above what has been prescribed." 
Hence, superstition is a religious act or practice 
which has not been prescribed by almighty God. 
A religious act may be contrary to God's law in 
two ways: it may be divine honor to a creature, 
or it may render false divine honor to God. Hence 
the division of superstition into the superstition 
of worshiping idols and the superstition of false 
worship. The superstition of worshiping idols, 
or false gods, was practised by the heathen of old. 



52 FUNDAMENTAL IDEAS OF RELIGION. 

St. Paul condemns them in the first chapter of 
his Epistle to the Eomans, saying: "They are in- 
excusable. Because when they knew God, they 
have not glorified Him as God. They changed the 
glory of the incorruptible God into the likeness 
of a corruptible man, and of birds, and of beasts, 
and of creeping things. Wherefore God gave 
them up to the desires of their heart. Who 
changed the truth of God into a lie ; and worshiped 
and served the creature rather than the Crea- 
tor. For this cause God delivered them up 
to shameful affections, receiving in themselves 
the recompense which was due to their error. 
And as they liked not to have God in their knowl- 
edge, God delivered them up to a reprobate sense, 
to do those things which are not becoming. Who, 
having known the justice of God, did not under- 
stand that they who do such things, are worthy 
of death, and not only they that do them, but 
they also that consent to them that do them." 

The superstition of false worship was severely 
punished among the Israelites. Thus Saul lost 
his kingdom and his life for offering sacrifices 
contrary to God's law. Core, Dathan, and Abiron 
were cast alive into hell for the same offence 
(Xum. xvi. 33). This gives one an idea of how 
God regards the sin of heresy, which is made so 
little of in our own day. 



PAET II. 

REVEALED RELIGION, 

The true Religion is not only in accordance 
with Reason; above all it rests on the Authority 
of almighty God. In fact, its divine origin, na- 
ture, and mission give the true Eeligion its real 
dignity and vahie. We shall, therefore, now pro- 
ceed to study Eeligion as revealed and established 
by almighty God. In performing this pleasant 
task we shall first consider those supernatural 
truths which have been revealed to us by God 
Himself, and then proceed to examine the di- 
vinely ordained practice of Religion. 



53 



A . STTPEKN ATT7R AL TRUTHS. 
I. Introductory Truths. 

i. Truth. 

Truth is being in relation to intelligence. St. 
Augustine says, "Truth makes known that which 
is." Truth may be described as that property or 
peculiarity of any being which makes it know- 
able to intelligent mind. God is the first and 
greatest Truth, because He is the first and neces- 
sary Being. God understands Himself perfectly. 
In the ideas which His being suggests to His 
mind God likewise perfectly understands all 
created truths. 

In relation to man, created truths are of three 
kinds: (1) purely speculative, as the truths of 
mental philosophy; (2) practical for time, as 
the truths of personal, domestic, and political 
economy; (3) practical for eternity, as the 
truths relating to man's origin, destiny, redemp- 
tion, and salvation. 

Man may obtain a knowledge of truth in three 

ways: (1) by a proper use of his faculties of 

observation, induction, and deduction; ^2) from 

his fellow man by hearing or reading a disclosure 

54 



TRUTH, 55 

of the truth; (3) from God, who, knowing all 
things, can reveal the same to man. 

Because his destiny is supernatural, man un- 
aided by God can obtain but little knowledge of 
the truths that are practical for eternity. In re- 
gard to these truths reason can discover but three 
things: (1) that there exists a supreme Being 
who is the Creator and Preserver of the universe; 
(2) that the human soul is a spirit which will 
live forever; and (3) that man has a free will 
according to the use of which he will be rewarded 
or punished forever. 

The other truths which are practical for eter- 
nity being entirely above the nature of man, they do 
not come within the range of his unaided mental 
vision. These truths man must, therefore, learn 
from God. He is their Author as well as man's, 
and can therefore reveal them to man. 

Unfortunately, however, man often follows the 
example of Pontius Pilate, who did not wish 
to know the truth. When the God-Man was 
brought before him and said, "I came to give 
testimony of the truth" (John xviii. 37), the 
Eoman governor asked, "Truth! what is truth?" 
and then turned away before he could receive an 
answer. 

On the other hand, those who seek the truth 
with an "honest and upright heart" will find that 
"grace and truth which came by Jesus Christ" 
(John i. 17). And He who is "the way, the 
truth, and the life" (John xiv. 6), "will sanctify 



56 REVEALED RELIGION. 

them in truth" (John xvii. 17), so that with St. 
Paul they may truly say, "The truth of Christ is 
in me" (2 Cor. x. 10). Then will "the Spirit 
of truth, whom the world cannot receive" (John 
xiv. 17), "teach them all things," so that they may 
live "according to the faith of the elect of God 
and the acknowledging of the truth" (Tit. i. 1), 
till they attain the possession of fruition of the 
eternal Truth in heaven. 

Objections. 

1. I have heard that man has innate ideas. — 
Believe me, that is only a post-natal fancy of such 
as have not sufficient brains to form ideas of self- 
evident truths. 

2. I have also heard it said that truth is rela- 
tive and mutable. — It is evident that being is real 
and objective. Hence truth, which is the relation 
of being to mind, must also be objective and, there- 
fore, cannot be merely subjective and relative. 

2. Mystery. 

The word "mystery" is a Greek derivative which 
literally means something concealed or hidden 
from view. In its present use the word mystery 
signifies a truth which man does not fully under- 
stand. As man usually arrives at the truth only 
after more or less research, a mystery must al- 
ways be encountered before a truth is mastered. 
For a child everything is at first a mystery. As 
its reason gradually develops, it begins to observe 



MYSTERY. 57 

the world about it. Soon its mind is able to ab- 
stract some vague idea or acquire some rudiment- 
ary knowledge of one truth or another. As its 
faculties develop or its powers increase, if the 
child is of a thoughtful turn of mind, it grows 
in knowledge and wisdom before God and men. 
Long before it arrives at maturity it acquires a 
knowledge of many truths whose very existence 
was unknown to it before. Thus many mysteries 
disappear before the light of reason in the course 
of time. And yet there still remain many mys- 
teries within the range of reason, which even the 
brightest minds have thus far failed to explore. 
Such mysteries surround us on every side. They 
are found everywhere in nature, in the mineral, 
the vegetable, and the animal kingdoms. Who ? 
for example, can say what fire is? Who has dis- 
covered what that is which gives the delicate hue 
and exquisite fragrance to the rose? Or who can 
show what that is in man which enables him to 
form spiritual concepts or ideas of material things 
and communicate the same to his fellow men? 
In fact, is there not some truth in the saying, 
"The greatest mystery to man is man" ? 

If, therefore, there are so many mysteries 
to man within the range of his own mental vision, 
how many mysteries must there be for him within 
the range of God's all-penetrating vision? In 
fact, many persons of authority declare the domain 
of divine vision to be the real land of mystery 
for man. Hence they define as mystery a truth 



58 REVEALED RELIGION. 

which by its very nature is a secret to unaided 
finite intelligence. It certainly can be said to 
God alone in all truth, "No secret is hid from 
Thee" (Ez. xxviii. 3). 

Objections. 

1. I accept only what can be demonstrated. — 
You had better stick to the multiplication table. 

2. Are not mysteries contrary to reason ? — Not 
contrary to, but above reason. 

3. What proof can we have of things invisible? 
— The word of God. 

4. I reject Christianity because it deals in 
mysteries. — What a pity God gave you reason! 

5. Reason must comprehend before accepting. 
— Reason comprehends that God is the eternal 
uncreated Truth. Is not His infallible word bet- 
ter than the mere hearsay which you often accept 
in daily life? 

3. The Supernatural. 

The supernatural is that which is above the 
natural powers and wants of all created things. 
By the natural powers and wants of creatures is 
meant all that is due them according to their 
nature. Thus, it is natural for angels to be and 
to act as pure spirits with intelligence and free 
will. It is the nature of man to be and to act as 
a creature composed of a rational soul and a ma- 
terial body. But it is supernatural for either angel 
or man to be or to act as God or as the natural 



TEE SUPERNATURAL. 59 

child of God. Jesus Christ alone is the Son of 
God, according to His divine nature. So it is 
natural for the God-Man according to His divine 
nature to be and to act as God. But a participa- 
tion in the nature or action of God is above the 
nature of angels and men; that is, it is super- 
natural. 

Heaven is the natural home of God, Father, 
Son, and Holy Ghost. Angels and men have no 
natural claim to it. For, as home is the abode 
of parents and children, so is heaven the natural 
home of God. The owners of a home may wel- 
come strangers into it; so may God admit angels 
and men into heaven. Still, God could not have 
created angels and men in the enjoyment of 
heaven. For, if angels and men are to be admit- 
ted to heaven, they must enter it according to 
their nature, that is, of their own free will as the 
friends of God, since they cannot be created as the 
natural children of God. To test their free will 
a trial was, therefore, necessary for both angels 
and men. 

If man had but a natural destiny, his body 
would after death return to earth whence it was 
taken. But his soul, being a spirit, would, like 
the angels, continue to exist forever. It is a fact, 
however, that man admits his supernatural des- 
tiny. For everybody desires to go to heaven. If 
God, therefore, gave man a supernatural destiny, 
He must also have given him a supernatural 
means of attaining that exalted end of his exist- 



60 REVEALED RELIGION. 

ence. Hence when we admit the supernatural 
destiny of man we must also in justice to God 
admit whatever that destiny demands. We must 
admit : 

1. The supernatural knowledge of his destiny 
revealed to man by God. 

2. The supernatural life of man, whereby he 
is united to God by the bond of divine friendship 
or is adopted as a child of God. 

3. The supernatural knowledge of this life im- 
parted to him by God. 

4. Supernatural help for man to direct his mind 
and heart to God as his supernatural end. 

5. Supernatural life of glory, or the beatific 
vision, whereby angels and saints are enabled ac- 
cording to their capacity to see and enjoy God 
face to face in heaven. This destiny, with the 
proportionate means of attaining and enjoying 
it, is called the supernatural order in creation. 

Objections. 

1. Is everybody destined for heaven? — "God 
will have all men to be saved and to come to the 
knowledge of truth" (1 Tim. ii. 4). 

2. Did God predestine some to hell? — No; 
to whatever God creates He gives the perfection 
of its nature. To predestine to hell would mean 
to make a deliberate moral wreck of some men. 
To assert that of God would be as blasphemous 
as it would be unjust. 



REVELATION. 61 

4. Revelation. 

In Eeligion a revelation is a supernatural mani- 
festation of truth made by God to man. A far- 
sighted person can see more than a nearsighted 
one. With the aid of a telescope both can see 
things at a great distance. But the vision of God 
penetrates further than the most powerful tele- 
scope. Being everywhere, His vision is limited 
neither by time or space, nor is it obscured by in- 
tervening objects. The range of God's vision ex- 
tends beyond actualities to the remotest possi- 
bilities. He sees from eternity to eternity. 
Knowing all things, God can therefore directly 
communicate to man whatever He pleases, whether 
the same be naturally knowable to man or not. 
History tells us that God has thus communicated 
truths to man. This divine communication of 
truth from God to man is called Eevelation. 

God has made things known to man in two 
ways: (1) naturally, by the light of human rea- 
son- (2) supernaturally, by revelation. This 
supernatural revelation is either private, as for 
example, the message of Nathan the prophet to 
King David, or it is public and intended for all 
mankind. This public revelation was made di- 
rectly through Christ, the prophets, and the 
Apostles. To-day it comes to us indirectly 
through the infallible teaching of the true Church. 
The truths which God has thus revealed are of 
two kinds: (1) such as are entirely beyond the 
scope of pure reason, as for example, man's des- 



6 2 REVEALED RELIGION. 

tiny to heaven; (2) such as the mind of man may 
grasp more or less distinctly, as the immortality 
of the human soul. 

Private revelation God still makes to His chosen 
souls from time to time. But public revelation 
is complete. This is the teaching of St. Paul, who 
says, "Though we, or an angel from heaven, 
preach a Gospel to you besides that which we 
have preached to you, let him be anathema" 
(Gal. i. 8). 

To be able to accept public revelation accord- 
ing to the rules of prudence, man must at all times 
have the moral certainty of the fact that the reve- 
lation was made. This moral certainty is given 
to man to-day by the true Church, which God 
has delegated to act in His name. She alone is 
authorized by God to say what revelation is genu- 
ine and what is apocryphal. 

When we admit, with the universal consent of 
mankind, that God has destined man for heaven, 
revelation becomes an absolute necessity. For if 
man is to go to heaven, he must not only know 
his destiny, but also the means which God has 
ordained for its attainment. Again, if man must 
practise a particular form of Eeligion, it is neces- 
sary that God should clearly indicate the same 
to him. 

Moreover, if God makes a revelation and binds 
man to live according to it, He must give man 
some palpable proof of its genuineness. There are 
various criteria and motives of credibility which 



REVELATION. 63 

apply more or less to all manifestations of truth, 
whether human or divine. There are others, how- 
ever, which apply only to divine revelation. Be- 
ing required by the very perfection of God, these 
are His divine seal upon His words and works. 
These evident criteria of revelation are miracles 
and prophecies. 

Objections. 

1. I don't see the necessity of revelation. — 
Your ignorance is pitiable. 

2. God cannot make revelations. — If you can 
reveal your ignorance, why can God not reveal 
His knowledge? 

3. Public revelation is lost. — It may be lost 
on you, if not to you. 

4. How can I know that God's word is not 
corrupted? — On the assurance of His Church 
guided by the Holy Ghost. 

5. Must I accept revelation? — Yes, and regu- 
late your daily life according to it, if you desire 
to go to heaven. 

6. Did not Brigham Young and Mrs. Eddy 
make revelations to mankind? — Their revelations 
were of the same nature as those made by the re- 
formers of the sixteenth century. Evidently 
neither of them was aware of the anathema pro- 
nounced against such persons by St. Paul (Gal. 
i. 8). At any rate, all of them overlooked the 
miracles. 



64 REVEALED RELIGION. 

5. Miracles. 

A miracle is an evident supernatural or ex- 
traordinary effect produced by God for the benefit 
of Religion. 

Three things are always united in a miracle: 
(1) an evident effect; (2) an extraordinary or 
supernatural divine intervention; (3) which al- 
ways benefits Eeligion at least remotely. The ef- 
fect may be supernatural in three ways: (1) it 
may be entirely above nature, as the transfigura- 
tion of Christ on Thabor; (2) it may be con- 
trary to nature, as the resurrection of the dead; 
(3) it may be contrary to the usual operation of 
physical laws, as the instantaneous cure of the 
sick. 

The universal consent of mankind in admitting 
both the possibility and the actuality of miracles 
is based on this simple reasoning. In creation God 
established the laws of nature for a natural end. 
Being still their absolute Master, God can cer- 
tainly suspend their operation when a higher end 
requires it. Such a divine intervention is called 
a miracle. This is necessary to give man certainty 
of the true Eeligion revealed by God. Miracles 
are always a divine approbation of the true Re- 
ligion. Though they often directly benefit an 
individual, God could not perform a miracle 
which would even remotely confirm an error. Be- 
sides, Our Saviour refers directly to miracles as 
a divine confirmation of His mission and teach- 



MIRACLES. 65 

ing. "If I do not the works of My Father," He 
says, "believe Me not. But if I do, though you 
will not believe Me, believe My works " (John x. 
37). 

To aid in the spread of the true Religion, 
miracles were more numerous during the first 
stages of its progress, both in the time of Moses 
and in the beginning of the Christian era, than 
they are to-day. Later on this criterion of the 
true Eeligion became less necessary and therefore 
more rare. Still, this seal of divine approbation 
is upon the true Eeligion to-day. Whoever doubts 
this assertion can easily be convinced by visiting 
Lourdes, for example, at the time of the national 
pilgrimages, where annually many miracles are 
wrought, as medical science testifies. 

Objections. 

1. A miracle, being a disturbance of the phy- 
sical laws, is impossible. — "All things are possible 
with God." Besides, a miracle is not a disturb- 
ance, but a suspension, of the laws of nature. 

2. A suspension of the laws of nature destroys 
the physical order. — Miracles occur only by way 
of exception, and "exceptions prove the rule." 

3. Miracles are a sin against the physical or- 
der. — They are not. God, being the Author of 
the law, can suspend the law whenever He deems 
it proper. 

4. Man must know all the laws of nature to 



66 REVEALED RELIGION. 

recognize a miracle. — Not so; he needs to know 
only the law which was suspended. 

5. Every religion has miracles. — This is more 
easily asserted than proved. A false religion 
may have sham miracles. It may also have dia- 
bolical manifestations, which captivate the vulgar 
mind for a time, but they are no true miracles. 

6. Some Bible miracles are not in confirma- 
tion of a particular doctrine. — But always in con- 
firmation of the true Beligion in general. 

7. The truth of miracles rests mostly on 
human testimony, which cannot give certitude. — 
It is well at times to look up the criteria of 
truth. We can have as strong a certitude of a 
miraculous fact as of the achievement of inde- 
pendence by the United States. 

6. Prophecy. 

A prophecy is an exact prediction of an event 
that cannot be foreseen in any natural cause. 
The despatcher at the depot can foretell the ar- 
rival of trains. The Weather Bureau can fore- 
cast the weather. The astronomer can predict an 
eclipse or the arrival of a comet. The angels, who 
know the laws of nature better than man, can 
foresee events that are as yet profound mysteries 
to the greatest scientists. Angels and men may 
even conjecture what free agents might do under 
certain circumstances. But neither angels nor 
men can foretell what God will do in the future, 
or even what future generations of mankind will 



TRADITION. 67 

do. That knowledge is entirely above their na- 
ture. While it is hidden in the mind of God 
they have no means of acquiring it. God, how- 
ever, is free to communicate it. When God thus 
gives man an insight into the future, as the his- 
torian might into the past, we say that He utters 
a prophecy. 

History tells us that God has thus repeatedly 
predicted events in ages gone by. The individuals 
to whom or through whom God communicated 
such knowledge to mankind are in consequence 
called prophets. For, as St. Peter says, "Prophecy 
came not by the will of man at any time; but 
the holy men of God spoke inspired by the Holy 
Ghost" (2 Peter i. 20). Thus we read not only 
the life and death of the God-Man predicted by 
the prophets of old, but also the nature of the true 
Church, as well as the rise and fall of empires. 

Prophecy, being a supernatural effect, like 
miracles, is a divine criterion of the true Eeligion. 
For the revelation of those future events, "which 
not even the angels of heaven know" (Matt. xxiv. 
36), can be made to man for no other reason than 
to strengthen the bond that unites him to God. 
Hence St. Paul says that prophecies are made 
"not to unbelievers, but to believers," to strengthen 
them in the faith (1 Cor. xiv. 22). 
7. Tradition. 

Divine tradition is the preservation and trans- 
mission of revelation by means of the true Church 



68 REVEALED RELIGION. 

of God. According to the generally accepted 
chronology, the first word of God was known to 
man 2,500 years before Moses was inspired to 
record any of it. In the New Law the Sacred 
Scriptures were written only from time to time. 
In fact, the Apostles had already "taught all na- 
tions" before St. John wrote his Gospel and the 
Apocalypse. Then nearly 400 years passed, on 
account of the violence of the persecutions and the 
difficulty of travel, before an official collection of 
all the inspired writings was made. Besides, 
many more years elapsed, on account of the diffi- 
culty of copying and communication, before the 
Bible as we have it to-day could be put within the 
reach of all of good will. During these long and 
eventful years the word of God was preserved and 
transmitted by word of mouth and private writ- 
ings. Indeed, the explicit command of the God- 
Man to His Apostles was not as to Isaias of old: 
"Take thee a great book, and write in it with a 
man's pen" (Is. viii. 1), but rather, "Go ye unto 
the whole world, and preach the Gospel to every 
creature" (Mark xvi. 15). 

St. John, in speaking of the Saviour's public 
life, declares that Jesus did many things that are 
not recorded in the Gospel (xx. 30, xxi. 25). In 
fact St. John asserts that the Gospel was written 
only to convince mankind of the divinity of Jesus 
Christ and of His mission (xx. 31). Being thus 
convinced, mankind would be prepared to accept 
the word of Christ as transmitted in the preach- 



TRADITION. 69 

ing of the Apostles and their successors. In them 
mankind would then recognize the duly author- 
ized agents of Jesus Christ. For they are not 
usurpers, but can prove the divinity of their mis- 
sion. To them the God-Man said: "All power 
is given to Me in heaven and in earth. As the 
Father hath sent Me, so I send you. Going there- 
fore teach all nations .... teaching them to observe 
all things whatsoever I have commanded you : and 
behold I am with you all days, even to the con- 
summation of the world" (Matt, xxviii. 18-20). 

During the patriarchal period the longevity of 
the patriarchs was especially conducive to the 
transmission of revelation by oral teaching. From 
the time of Moses the purity of God's word was 
safeguarded by the vigilance of the Sanhedrim, 
the highest tribunal in the land. The work of 
this body was facilitated and supplemented by the 
preaching and writings of the prophets. Thus 
we see that no radical change was introduced in 
the New Law when the teaching body instituted 
by Christ and guided by the Holy Ghost suc- 
ceeded to the office of the Sanhedrim in guarding 
divine revelation from corruption. In fact, be- 
fore the invention of printing it was a physical 
impossibility to spread "the glad tidings of sal- 
vation" mainly by printed literature, even if the 
written word of God needed no official interpre- 
ter. 

Hence there never was any doubt about the ex- 
cellence of divine tradition before the beginning 



70 REVEALED RELIGION. 

of the sixteenth century. In fact the Apostles 
themselves put divine tradition on a level with 
their own inspired writings. They speak of it 
without any misgiving. St. Paul, for example, 
exhorts the Thessalonians "to hold fast to the 
traditions" (ii. 14). St. John says quite natural- 
ly of it, "Having more things to write unto you, 
I would not by pen and ink; for I hope that I 
shall be with you and speak to you face to face" 
(1 Epist. i. 12). 

Tertullian in his work on "Prescription" gives 
two simple rules which invariably disclose the 
source of any doctrine. Does the doctrine come 
down to us from the time of Christ? Then it is 
genuine. Is it a new doctrine? Then it is false, 
no matter whether it is found in a garbled mod- 
ern version of the Bible or propounded by one who 
claims to preach the pure word of God. Hence 
St. Paul earnestly exhorts his favorite disciple, 
saying: "0 Timothy, keep that which is commit- 
ted to thy trust, avoiding the profane novelties 
of words, and oppositions of knowledge falsely 
so called, which some promising, have erred con- 
cerning the faith" (1 Tim. vi. 20). 

Objections. 

1. I don't believe in or see the necessity of 
divine tradition. — Humble study may improve 
your mental vision. Pray to God for light to see 
things as He sees them. 

2. How do you know that tradition is the 



THE BIBLE. 71 

word of God? — From history and the true 
Church. 

3. Then the Church is greater than the word 
of God. — The (Jhurch is the divine custodian and 
interpreter of the word of God. 

4. Is divine tradition still increasing? — No. 
The deposit of faith, whether written or orally 
transmitted, was complete at the death of the 
Apostles. 

5. Why do some non-Catholics make little of 
divine tradition? — Why did the prodigal leave 
his father's house? 

8. The Bible. 

The Bible is a collection of the divinely in- 
spired writings. These writings are also called 
the Sacred Scriptures. The list of the various 
inspired books is called the canon of the Sacred 
Scriptures. The collection of the inspired writ- 
ings, or the canon as we have it to-day, was offici- 
ally made by Pope Damascus (A.D. 366-384) 
towards the end of the fourth century. His de- 
cree was repeated the next century by Pope 
Gelasius (A.D. 492-496). Finally, after having 
been enjoined by various provincial and national 
councils, the canon of inspired books, which had 
been universally received, was declared authentic 
by the infallible teaching of the universal Coun- 
cil of Trent (April 8, 1546). 

The Bible is divided into the Old and the New 
Testament. The former contains 45, and the lat- 



72 REVEALED RELIGION. 

ter 27 books. The first book, called Genesis, was 
written by Moses about 1,500 years before Christ. 
The last book, the Apocalypse, was written by the 
Apostle St. John about the year of Our Lord 100. 

The Bible (1) tells man that he is destined 
to a supernatural end. (2) It points out to him 
what he must do to be born to the supernatural 
life. (3) It instructs him in regard to what he 
must believe as a child of God. (4) It makes 
known to him the commandments which he must 
observe to live the supernatural life. (5) It indi- 
cates the means of grace which he must use to 
persevere in that life until death. (6) It tells 
him how to pray to God and praise His name. 
(7) It gives him much historical information 
relating especially to God's dealings with man- 
kind. In a word, the Bible is a divine Consti- 
tution which records the establishment of the true 
form of Beligion by almighty God, and defines 
what man must do to be pleasing in His sight 
and thus merit life everlasting. 

Before the art of printing was invented the re- 
production of the Bible was a most laborious and 
costly task. To produce a single copy was a gigan- 
tic undertaking even for an expert copyist. No 
sooner, however, was printing invented than ad- 
vantage was taken to spread the word of God. In 
the short space of time which elapsed between this 
discovery and the appearance of Luther's Bible, 
629 editions of the Catholic Bible and portions 
of the same had been printed and distributed. 



TEE BIBLE. 73 

To-day the Bible is within the reach of every one, 
and the faithful are encouraged to read it even 
by the granting of indulgences for doing so. 

Objections. 

1. What is your authority for the canon of 
the Bible? — The Catholic Church, directed by the 
Holy Ghost, the Spirit of truth. 

2. The Bible is sufficient for me without the 
Church. — Without the Church a correct canon 
is impossible. Besides, the Bible, like the law of 
the land, must be officially interpreted. 

3. I take my faith out of the Bible. — The 
faith of Christ "cometh by hearing" (Eom. x. 
17). 

4. The word of God is infallible. — But man 
is fallible in interpreting it. 

5. I want Bible proofs. — The Church says 
with Christ, "If you do not believe My words, 
believe My works." 

6. Catholics do not read the Bible. — Shame 
on them! 

7. They are not allowed. — On the contrary, 
the Church even grants an indulgence for read- 
ing it. 

8. Is all revealed truth in the Bible? — No; 
some is handed down solely by oral tradition. 

9. Why don't Catholics read the King James 
version? — Being garbled and interpolated, it is 
no longer the pure word of God. 



74 REVEALED RELIGION. 

10. The Sacred Scriptures were lost during 
the dark ages. — Nonsense. 

11. Didn't Luther find the Bible?— Yes. He 
found it pure and corrupted it. 

12. Was not Luther the first to translate the 
Bible? — You are trifling with history. 

13. Why did the monks of the Middle Ages 
chain the Bible? — Why is the dipper at a public 
fountain chained? 

14. Why are Catholics opposed to the read- 
ing of the Bible in the public schools? — They are 
not opposed to the reading of the Bible, but to 
a garbled version of the same. 

9. Inspiration. 

Inspiration is a supernatural impulse which 
God gave to the sacred writers, thereby moving 
them to write, and illuminating and directing 
them while writing, so that they infallibly re- 
corded those things and only those things which 
God desired. In itself, inspiration is distinct 
from revelation, though both are often united in 
the inspired writings. Thus, God inspired the 
writer when He influenced him to record what he 
already knew. But when He first made known 
what was unknown to the writer before, and then 
influenced him to record the same, He both re- 
vealed and inspired. 

Inspiration may be aptly compared to that help 
which a mother might give to her child in writing 
its first letter. The mother first suggests the 



INSPIRATION. 75 

thought of writing. Then she suggests the proper 
ideas. Finally she suggests such words as may 
be essential to express the ideas to be written. So 
God in a more perfect way first suggested the 
idea of writing. He next indicated the ideas, or 
the message to mankind. Finally He directed the 
sacred writer to record the message in such words 
as would correctly express the divine idea. In all 
public revelation, inspiration is a most useful aid 
to divine tradition for the proper transmission 
of God's word to posterity. 

The authenticity of inspiration is vouched for, 
not only by the tenor of the doctrine, but especial- 
ly by the infallible Church which Christ has 
established. Though the translators of the in- 
spired books were not inspired in their work of 
translating, the Church of Christ, guided by the 
Holy Ghost, has declared that the "Vulgate" 
translation is substantially the same as the original 
copy. No original copy is extant at this remote 
date. 



Objections. 

1. Is every word of Sacred Scripture inspired? 
—Probably not. The individual words of the 
original text are considered inspired only when 
they were essential to convey the divine idea. 

2. Did not some sacred writers use great dili- 
gence in writing? — Certainly. God moved them 
to write according to their literary ability. 



76 REVEALED RELIGION. 

3. How account for the difference in style in 
the sacred writers ?— Just as in other writers— 
by their different individualities. 

4. It is said that there were grammatical mis- 
takes in some original texts. — It is now too late 
to verify this assertion. If true, it shows that 
God looked to holiness rather than to grammati- 
cal correctness in His instruments. 

5. Some facts are recorded in different ways 
by different writers. — That only shows the differ- 
ent capacity of different writers; but their ver- 
sions are substantially the same. 

6. Is all that God ever inspired in the Bible 
as we have it to-day ?— Probably not. But all 
that is in the Catholic Bible is inspired. 

io. Historical Value of the Bible. 

The historical value of the Bible is its human 
authority. Three things constitute the historical 
value of any book. They are its authenticity, or 
genuineness, its integrity, and its veracity. (1) 
The authenticity, or genuineness, of a book consists 
in the fact that it was written by the author to 
whom it is attributed, or, if the author is doubtful 
or unknown, that it was written about the time 
indicated. The terms "genuine" and "authentic" 
are used in opposition to spurious and apocry- 
phal. (2) The integrity of a book consists in 
this, that it remains substantially the same as it 
was written, without an addition or subtraction, 
without any mutilation or interpolation. Prac- 



HISTORICAL VALUE OF THE BIBLE. 77 

tically, the integrity of the Bible consists in this, 
that it is a safe guide in the revealed doctrine 
of faith and morals, and is substantially correct 
in recording historic facts, though it may acci- 
dently err regarding names and dates. (3) The 
veracity of a book is that quality which results 
from the ability and fidelity of the author in 
chronicling events as they really occurred. 

1. The authenticity of the New Testament, 
and especially of the Gospels, is evident — (1) be- 
cause Christianity has universally regarded it as 
such for a long time; (2) because no other satis- 
factory date or author can be assigned to it; (3) 
because the style, allusions, and development of 
these books suggest that their authors were Jew- 
ish disciples of Jesus Christ; (4) from the testi- 
mony not only of the theologians and doctors of 
divinity, but of the enemies of Eeligion who have 
openly admitted the authenticity. 

2. The integrity of the New Testament is evi- 
dent — (1) from the fact that the watchful care 
of the faithful and of the clergy made its corrup- 
tion impossible; (2) from the fact that the oldest 
copies extant, which date back to the fourth cen- 
tury, have the same text as the latest editions. 

3. The veracity of the New Testament is evi- 
dent — (1) from the fact that its authors were 
not deceived in what they recorded, did not wish 
to deceive in what they wrote, and could not have 
deceived mankind on such a subject if they so 
desired; (2) from the nature of the things re- 



78 REVEALED RELIGION. 

corded, which were so wonderful that they would 
not have been accepted if they were not evident- 
ly true; (3) from the candid manner in which 
the books are written; (4) from the faith with 
which they have inspired mankind at all times. 

The authenticity, integrity, and veracity of the 
Old Testament, especially of the Pentateuch, ap- 
pear — (1) from the authority of the Xew Testa- 
ment, which speaks of it in the highest praise; 
(2) from the constant and unanimous traditions 
in its favor. 

The authenticity of the Old Testament is, 
moreover, vouched for by intrinsic arguments de- 
rived from the facts narrated, from the circum- 
stances recorded, as well as from the style and the 
unity and harmony of the various books. Its in- 
tegrity is specially vouched for by the religious 
and jealous care bestowed upon the Sacred Scrip- 
tures by the Jews of old and later the Chris- 
tian world. Finally, its veracity becomes even 
more apparent when one considers that in treating 
doctrines so sublime and in recording so miracu- 
lous events, the authors could not have imposed 
upon the people. Besides, being men of integ- 
rity and filled with the fear of the Lord, they 
would not have deceived the people, if such were 
possible. 



THERE IS A GOD. 79 



II. God and the Divine Plan. 

i. There is a God. 

God is that one necessary Being who exists of 
Himself from all eternity. A being may be neces- 
sary in itself or for others. God alone is neces* 
sary in either sense. His very nature is to exist. 
Hence He is a necessary being considered in Him- 
self. Besides, all other beings are dependent upon 
Him as the first cause. God, therefore, is neces- 
sary for all beings. 

It is a historic fact that God has repeatedly 
spoken to man. He therefore must exist. Be- 
sides, He has repeatedly manifested His power 
by miraculous intervention in the physical and 
moral world. 

Aside from revelation, miracles, and prophecies, 
however, proofs of God's existence are found in 
the design, creation, and government of the uni- 
verse. "For the invisible things of God, from 
the creation of the world, are clearly seen, being 
understood by the things that are made: His 
eternal power also, and divinity: so that they 
[who do not believe] are inexcusable " (Eom. i. 
20). The usual arguments which show God as 
the first cause, designer and moral lawgiver may 
be briefly stated as follows: 



80 REVEALED RELIGION. 

1. Argument from Causation. It is evident 
that the world exists. But reasons, both theo- 
retical and practical, emphatically assert that the 
world could not and originally did not make it- 
self. For as there is no effect without a cause, 
so no effect can be its own cause. Consequently 
the world was produced by a cause extrinsic to it. 
This First Cause man calls God. 

2. Argument from Motion. Again, motion and 
the power of motion evidently exist in the world. 
Now, as no body can produce itself, neither can it 
give itself motion or the power of motion. Hence 
this motion and power of motion must come orig- 
inally from an extrinsic prime mover. This 
Prime Mover man calls God. 

3. Argument from Contingency. Moreover, all 
things in nature are contingent. But contingent 
beings exist primarily through a necessary, ex- 
trinsic being. This Necessary Being man calls 
God. 

4. Argument from Gradation. It is evident, 
besides, that there is a gradation in nature; some 
beings are of a more perfect order than others. 
But relative perfection necessarily supposes an 
absolute perfection as the standard of comparison. 
That Being of Absolute Perfection man calls God. 

5. Argument from Necessary Truths. St.Augus- 
tine says that all truths presuppose thought, and 
thought, intellect. It is evident, however, that 
the principles of logic, being necessary truths, are 
not the effect of a contingent intellect. There 



THERE IS A GOD. 81 

must, therefore, of necessity be an eternal intellect 
in whose eternal, unchangeable intelligence these 
necessary and eternal truths have their cause. 
This Eternal Intelligence man calls God. 

6. Argument from Fixed Laws. It is evident, 
moreover, that there are certain fixed laws in 
nature which produce fixed results. But nature, 
being devoid of intelligence, must be directed by 
some extrinsic intelligence to produce these defi- 
nite results. That Intelligence which established 
the laws of nature man calls God. 

7. Argument from Design, or Physical Argu- 
ment. When we look around us in the world, we 
cannot help observing the unity, beauty, and har- 
mony that exist among creatures. Now, natural- 
ly, the greater the masterpiece, the greater must 
also be the intelligence which planned and the 
power which executed it. Consequently, this vast 
universe must have been planned and created by 
a being of infinite intelligence and power. That 
Being man calls God. 

8. Moral Argument, or Argument from Con- 
science. Man recognizes within him a moral law 
which binds him without any pfevious human in- 
tervention. Now, since every moral law presup- 
poses a lawgiver, there must exist an authoritative 
lawgiver who has engraven his law on every 
human heart. This great Lawgiver man calls God. 

9. Argument from Universal Consent. It is 
a historic fact that mankind has always univer- 
sally believed in the existence of God. Since, 



82 REVEALED RELIGION. 

however, a universal effect requires a universal 
cause, this belief of mankind must be founded on 
truth. For truth is universal, whereas error ia 
not. Hence God exists. 

On account of this evidence of reason, as well 
as that furnished by revelation, the existence of 
God has been declared a dogma of faith. "If any 
one denies," says the Vatican Council, "that there 
is one true God, Creator, and Master of things, 
visible and invisible, let him be anathema." 

Objections. 

1. The universe is God. — God is eternal and 
unchangeable. The world, however, is constantly 
undergoing change. Hence the universe cannot 
be God, but is created by God. 

2. A cause cannot always be known by the 
effect. — But its existence can. That suffices. 

3. The universal consent of mankind springs 
from fear. — But, as St. Alphonsus says, "The fear 
of God presupposes the existence of God." 

4. How do you account for atheists? — They 
are either persons who have never seriously thought 
about God, or they try to convince themselves and 
others against their judgment that there is no God, 
so that they need not render an account of their 
stewardship to Him. St. Alphonsus declares it 
to be his opinion that no atheist is sincere. For 
"the fool says in his heart [not in his mind] , there 
is no God" (Ps. Hi. 10). 



TEE BLESSED TRINITY. 83 

2. What is God? 

God is a Spirit, infinitely perfect. "We have just 
seen that God, the Designer and Creator of the 
universe, is a necessary Being of infinite perfec- 
tion. That God is an individual Spirit is evident 
from the fact that He created spirits, angels, and 
human souls. A cause is always proportionate to 
its effect. But only a spirit would be a cause pro- 
portionate to the production of a spirit. God, 
therefore, is an individual Spirit, a Spirit infinite- 
ly perfect, who exists of Himself and is necessary 
for the existence of all things. Or, as St. Alphon- 
sus says, "Because God exists by Himself, He is 
one, eternal, and infinitely perfect." 

Objections. 

1. God and the universe are one. — God is a 
Spirit; the universe is principally matter. Hence 
they are not one. 

2. The world is an emanation from God. — 
Matter cannot emanate from a spirit. 

3. The world is evolved from God. — This is 
another pantheistic error which confounds: (1) 
the idea of God with the idea of being in gen- 
eral; (2) the idea of the infinite with the idea 
of all finite beings, taken collectively; (3) the 
nature of creatures with the concepts of the same 
as they exist in the mind of God. 

3. The Blessed Trinity. 

The Blessed Trinity is the mystery of Three 



84 REVEALED RELIGION. 

Persons in One God. Its existence is entirely be- 
yond the range of natural reason. Divine revela- 
tion alone has made it known to man. Though 
indicated in the Old Dispensation, it was clearly 
manifested only in the New Law. The Blessed 
Trinity was proclaimed at the baptism of Jesus 
Christ, when "The Spirit of God descended as 
a dove, and a voice from heav r en said : This is My 
beloved Son in whom I am well pleased" 
(Matt. iii. 16, 17). It was again proclaimed by 
Jesus Himself when He said to the Apostles, "I 
will ask the Father and He shall give you another 
Paraclete, the Spirit of truth" (John xvi. 16). 
It was again proclaimed by His commissioning 
them to baptize "in the name of the Father, and 
of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost" (Matt, xxviii. 
19). Hence St. John says, "There are Three that 
give testimony in heaven, the Father, the Word, 
and the Holy Ghost, and these Three are One" 
(John v. 7). 

Objections. 

1. There is only a virtual distinction between 
the Three Persons. — But Scripture asserts a real 
distinction. 

2. The Word was co-eternal, but not consub- 
stantial with the Father.— That is bad philosophy 
as well as bad theology. 

3. Christ was a mere man. — Better read the 
first chapter of St. John's gospel. 



CREATION. 85 

4. The Holy Ghost is a creature. — Scripture 
clearly says that He is God. 

4. The Attributes of <rod. 

The divine attributes are certain qualities 
which flow from the nature and the personalities 
of God. In the former case they are called abso- 
lute; in the latter, relative. The absolute attrib- 
utes are of two kinds: (1) Such as relate to the 
essence of God. These are unity, simplicity, per- 
fection, goodness, immensity, immutability, and 
eternity. (2) Such as relate to His operations. 
They are truth, wisdom, and life, in the intellect; 
goodness, sanctity, veracity, justice, and love, in 
the will; beauty, omnipotence, and providence in 
both intellect and will. (Dubois.) 

The relative attributes distinguish and consti- 
tute the Three Persons. They are paternity, son- 
ship, and spiration. Omnipotence, however, is 
usually attributed specially to the Father, wisdom 
to the Son, and love to the Holy Ghost. 

5. Creation. 

Creation is the production of the world out 
of nothing. It is a dogma of reason and faith that 
God created the world. A sculptor may take a 
block of marble and chisel it into a work of art 
which generations to come will admire. A painter 
may artistically depict the varied beauties of na- 
ture on a canvas. But God alone can produce 
something without pre-existing matter. It was 



86 REVEALED RELIGION. 

thus that by an act of His all-powerful will God 
created the world. The mother of the Machabees 
gave expression to the universal consent of man- 
kind in regard to this when she said to her young- 
est son, "I beseech thee, my son, look upon heaven 
and earth, and all t^at is in them : and consider 
that God made them out of nothing" (2 Mach. 
vii. 28). 

When did God create the world? "In the be- 
ginning of time" (Gen. i. 1). Scripture repeat- 
edly states implicity that God did not create 
the world from eternity. Thus, for example, Our 
Saviour in His prayer on the eve of His sufferings 
and death : "And now glorify Thou Me, Father, 
with the glory that I had before the world was" 
(John xvii. 5). 

During recent years especially, scientists have 
been more solicitous about the origin and age of 
the world than about "the narrow and rugged 
path that leads to life eternal." Theory after 
theory has been advanced and abandoned. Some 
persons have even gone so far as to brand divine 
revelation an error when it did not harmonize with 
their preconceived idea of geology. Now, God i9 
Author of reason as well as of revelation. The 
truths of real science must then harmonize with 
true revelation. Let men, therefore, not precipi- 
tate themselves into conclusions that cannot be 
demonstrated, lest the words of St. Paul to the 
Romans be applied to them, that "professing 
themselves to be wise, they became fools"(i. 22). 



THE ANGELS. 87 

Objections. 

1. Out of nothing, nothing can be made. — 
But God can and has created the world out of 
nothing, that is, without any pre-existing mat- 
ter. 

2. The world existed of itself from eternity. — 
Common sense teaches that finite things depend 
on a first cause for their existence. 

3. The world was created from eternity. — 
It might perhaps have been so created, but it was 
not. 

4. The world was produced by chance. — The 
world was produced by an intelligent cause. 

5. The world evolved from God. — This asser- 
tion is opposed to Sacred Scripture. Besides, it 
contradicts reason : ( 1 ) by implying that there is 
but one substance, whereas there are many; (2) 
by taking for granted that matter can have the 
attributes of spirit; (3) by supposing that mat- 
ter possesses intelligence. Such a doctrine is, 
besides, most pernicious in its application. (1) 
It practically denies the existence of the God of 
Christians; (2) it robs man of his liberty; (3) 
it frees him from rendering an account of his 
actions to God; (i) it overthrows all religion; 
and (5) dissolves the most sacred bonds of 
morality. 

6. The Angels. 

Angels are pure spirits created by God to min- 
ister unto Him and share His happiness. Reason 



88 REVEALED RELIGION. 

recognizes the place of the angels in the grada- 
tion of God's creatures. Revelation teaches us 
their existence in the plainest terms. Indeed, as 
St. Gregory says, nearly every page of the inspired 
writings bears testimony to their existence. As 
pure spirits, angels have no faculties in common 
with purely material creatures. They have 
neither bodies nor vegetative or sensitive facul- 
ties. In common with man, angels possess intel- 
ligence and free will, but in a higher order. 

To execute the various decrees of divine Provi- 
dence, angels are constituted in three hierarchies, 
according to their intelligence. Each hierarchy 
is subdivided into three choirs, thus constituting 
nine choirs in all, as enumerated in Sacred 
Scripture. 

Divines give us some idea of the destiny of these 
various choirs and hierarchies. The first hier- 
archy, consisting of the seraphim, cherubim, and 
thrones, immediately assist and minister unto the 
infinite Majesty of God. The second hierarchy, 
comprising the dominations, virtues, and powers, 
in a general way superintend the execution of 
God's decrees in the lower creation. The third 
hierarchy, made up of the principalities, arch- 
angels, and angels, execute the divine decrees in 
their individual application. It is especially in 
the exercise of these duties that the members of 
this hierarchy become the guardian angels, not 
only of individuals, but also of the various na- 
tions of the earth. 



THE ANGELS. 89 

Our divine Saviour confirmed the universal be- 
lief in guardian angels of persons when He said, 
"See that you despise not one of these little ones, 
for their angels always see the face of My Father 
who is in heaven" (Matt, xviii. 10). Daniel, 
the prophet, clearly teaches that nations as well 
as individuals have their guardian angels (Dan. 
x. 13-21). 

It seemed proper to the mind of God that 
angels as well as men be subjected to a trial or 
probation before they gained those exalted po- 
sitions which the goodness of God had prepared 
for them. In accordance with their nature and 
the aid of God's grace, they were to merit heaven 
of their own free choice, before they could occupy 
their respective places in the economy of creation. 
Hence God not only created the angels in the 
supernatural state and revealed to them His be- 
nignant designs in their regard, but also offered 
them special aid to work out their destiny. Ac- 
cording to their free and intellectual nature, the 
angels were to decide by a single act whether they 
would love God above all things and reign with 
Him forever, or be outcasts from Him for all 
eternity. Those angels that proved their fidelity 
were crowned with the glory of heaven. The re- 
bellious ones, on the contrary, incurred God's 
enmity and punishment. 

Objections. 
1. I don't believe in angels. — Since reason, 



90 REVEALED RELIGION. 

history, and revelation testify to the reality of 
their existence, your unbelief does not affect 
them. 

2. When did God create them? — That is un- 
certain. Perhaps when He said, "Let there be 
light" (Gen. i. 5). 

3. Why did God not create them in the en- 
joyment of heaven? — It was not His wish. A9 
free agents, they naturally had the power of de- 
termining their future. Besides, as St. Paul 
truly says, "Heaven is a reward exceedingly 
great." 

4. What is the number of created spirits? — 
This has never been revealed. The prophet 
Daniel saw "Thousands of thousands ministering 
to God, and ten thousand times a hundred thou- 
sand stand before His throne" (Dan. ii. 10). 

7. Man. 

Man is the noblest creature of the visible world. 
He is distinguished from the other visible creat- 
ures by the excellence of hi6 origin, the dignity 
of his nature, as well as by the position he occu- 
pies in the economy of creation. 

When God created the sun, moon, and stars, 
the earth with its varied vegetative and animal 
life, He merely said," Let them be !" and they were 
made. But when He came to the creation of man, 
God hesitated. In fact, so important was the 
work before Him, that the Three Persons of the 
Blessed Trinity held a consultation. At length 



MAN. 91 

they said: "Let us make man to our own image 
and likeness. Let him have dominion over the 
fishes of the sea, and the fowls of the air, and the 
beasts, and every creeping creature that moveth 
upon the earth" (Gen. i. 26). "And the Lord 
God formed man out of the slime of the earth; 
and breathed into his face the breath of life, and 
man became a living soul" (Gen. ii. 7). 

The dignity of man has a threefold source, (1) 
the perfection of his body, (2) the spirituality of 
his soul, and (3) the divinity of the model after 
which his soul is made. Other creatures have 
beauty of form and power of action, but man pos- 
sesses both in an eminent degree. Other creatures 
arrive at maturity in a short time, but man only 
after many years. Other creatures exist, live, 
move and feel, but man alone has a spiritual soul, 
understanding, and free will. Other creatures 
are entirely of the earth, earthly, but the soul 
of every human being is directly created by God. 
Other creatures, says St. Augustine, are the foot- 
prints of God, but man is His image and like- 
ness. Indeed, God is not only the Creator, He is 
also the model after which man was made. "Let 
us make man to our own image and likeness," 
are His own words. Hence like God, man has 
understanding; like Him, he of necessity seeks 
his own happiness ; like Him, he has dominion over 
his own actions. These natural endowments fit 
man for his divinely appointed position as king of 
the universe and crown of the visible creation. 



92 REVEALED RELIGION. 

He alone of all creatures on earth can exercise 
"dominion over the fishes of the sea, and the fowls 
of the air and the beasts, and every creeping crea- 
ture that moveth upon the earth" (Gen. i. 26). 

Objections. 

1. "Human beings existed before Adam." 

2. "Man came from uncreated matter through 
a series of evolutions, the ape being his progen- 
itor." 

3. "Man has evolved from primordially 
created species with the ape as his progenitor." 

4. "Evolution is an accepted fact in the sci- 
entific world." 

Answer. — These and similar theories are con- 
trary to reason, history, and revelation. Reason 
has scientifically demonstrated that one species 
cannot evolve from another. History traces the 
human race to one common origin. Revelation 
declares that God directly created the first man 
and woman, Adam and Eve. For a person with 
a corrupt heart any specious pretext suffices to 
oppose the universal consent of mankind, and 
even to give the lie to the Almighty and His re- 
vealed truth. The only evidence discovered, how- 
ever, which is inimical to the Mosaic cosmogony 
in general, exists in the imagination of those 
of whom the Holy Ghost declares, "The fool says 
in his heart, there is no God" (Ps. Hi. 10). 



TEE IMMORTALITY OF TEE SOUL. 93 

8. The Immortality of the Soul. 

Immortality literally means immunity from 
death. It may be of three kinds — essential, nat- 
ural, and gratuitous. God is essentially immor- 
tal, because He exists of necessity. Created spirits, 
whether angels or human souls, are said to be 
naturally immortal, because they are simple or in- 
divisible substances, or beings. According to the 
Bible testimony, human bodies after the general 
resurrection will enjoy an immortality which is 
gratuitous, because it is a free gift of God. 

Mortality results either from internal corrup- 
tion or from an external agent of destruction. 
The human soul is immune to both causes of mor- 
tality or destruction. An object is incorruptible 
when it cannot be dissolved into constituent parts, 
or deprived of the subject in which it resides. 
Now, the soul is a spirit, and as such is not com- 
posed of parts, nor essentially dependent on the 
body. It therefore is intrinsically immortal or in- 
corruptible. That the soul is a spirit is evident 
from its works. Man alone of the visible world 
has ideas, man alone of all creatures of earth 
judges and reasons. He alone can cultivate the 
arts and sciences. The lower animals have in- 
stinct and sensibility; but they always act accord- 
ing to fixed laws. This is evident from their 
habits of daily life. They live and act the same 
year after year. If man is capable of producing 
higher and nobler effects than the animals around 



94 REVEALED RELIGION. 

him, the soul or principle of his life must, there- 
fore, be of a higher, nobler order than the entire 
visible material world. In truth, the soul can pro- 
duce effects that transcend matter. Like God, it 
has ideas. Like the angels, it sees the reason of 
things. Like God and the angels, the soul of man 
is, therefore, a spirit and as such is by nature in- 
corruptible, or immortal. 

The external agents that can act on the human 
soul are other human souls, angels, and almighty 
God. The only way that a spirit can be destroyed 
is by annihilation. This is an act peculiar to the 
Creator. The soul exists because God wishes it 
to exist. If God ceased to wish the soul's exist- 
ence, it would instantly be annihilated. But does 
God wish the soul to exist forever? The mind 
of man can discover many reasons why the soul 
should exist forever. Revelation, however, tells 
us absolutely and emphatically that it is God's 
wish that the soul exist forever. It is, besides, a 
historic fact, frequently repeated and verified, 
that souls have made their existence known after 
they have left the body. 

Eeason asserts that the soul, as the nobler part 
of man, should not end its existence with the cor- 
ruption of the body. There is, besides, a lurking 
desire, inborn in every human heart, to live for- 
ever. But would God have implanted in the heart 
of man a universal desire to live forever, if He did 
not intend to gratify it? Certainly not. It is, 
moreover, an undeniable truth, that the human 



THE IMMORTALITY OF TEE 80V L. 95 

heart necessarily seeks happiness. Eeason and 
experience, however, prove that all the fleeting hon- 
ors, riches and pleasures of this life cannot satisfy 
this craving of the human heart. Would God, 
then, have implanted a universal longing for hap- 
piness in the breast of man without any possibility 
of gratifying it? Certainly not. It must, then, 
be true, as St. Augustine says: "Thou hast 
created me, God, and my heart will never be at 
rest until it rests in Thee." Man's soul must be 
immortal. Furthermore, if the human soul were 
not immortal, the God of justice would have to re- 
ward and punish man adequately in this world. 
But every one knows that the honest man has a 
very poor chance in the competition of daily life. 
The justice of God, therefore, requires that man 
live for a future reward or punishment. Indeed, 
so indelibly has the truth of the soul's immortality 
been written on every human heart, that it has 
always been accepted as beyond all doubt by the 
universal consent of enlightened and moral man- 
kind. Hence the anxious heart heaves a sigh of 
relief when it learns from the first chapter in the 
Bible that man is made "to the image and like- 
ness of God." An image is a true representation. 
A likeness reflects the properties of the original. 
Man, therefore, is a true, though inadequate, rep- 
resentation of God and reflects His perfections. 
God is a Spirit that necessarily exists forever. The 
soul of man, the image and likeness of God, is, 
therefore, also a spirit that, by God's will, must 



96 REVEALED RELIGION. 

exist forever. This is the argument adduced by 
the inspired writer of the Book of Wisdom, when 
he unites the idea of the soul's immortality with 
the idea of God's image and says, "God made 
man incorruptible, and to the image of His own 
likeness He made him" (Wis. ii. 23). 

Objections. 

1. A soul cannot be imagined, hence it doesn't 
exist. — Rather say, hence it is a spirit, for a 
spirit cannot be imagined. 

2. The soul is born, grows and decays with 
the body. — This is a mere assertion, that can- 
not be proved. 

3. Thought is a secretion of the brain. — Better 
have your brain examined. 

4. Daily observation proves that the soul per- 
ishes with the body. — Whose daily observation? 

5. The imagination ceases with death; hence 
also the intellect, which depends on it. — While 
the soul is in the body, the activity of the intellect 
depends on the imagination. After the soul is 
liberated from its prison of clay, it need not look 
through its windows. 

6. Many natural desires are vain, hence also 
the desire of happiness. — Particular and individual 
desires may be vain, but universal and necessary 
ones never. 

7. At least this desire is vain in the reprobate. 
— Not vain, but frustrated by their bad will. 



PREROGATIVES OF OUR FIRST PARENTS. 97 

8. Some persons don't believe in the immor- 
tality of the soul. — The general consent of man- 
kind adheres to it. The exception only "proves 
the rule." 

9 . The Prerogatives of our First Parents. 

The prerogatives of our first parents were the 
special gifts which God originally bestowed upon 
them. These gifts established Adam and Eve in 
original justice and holiness. They are of three 
kinds — natural, preternatural, and supernatural. 
The natural prerogatives gave our first parents all 
that is contained in the noblest and truest sense 
of the idea of personal humanity. It is an individ- 
ual human nature or personality with every con- 
ceivable natural perfection. The preternatural 
gifts endow this personality with a perfection 
superadded and naturally undue. These gifts 
consisted chiefly in the perfect use of reason, per- 
fect inclination of the will to God, and perfect 
subjection of the body to the soul. In virtue of 
this subjection of matter to mind, our first parents 
enjoyed immunity from the corruption of nature 
by concupiscence, sickness, and death. The super- 
natural prerogatives made our first parents the 
adopted children of God, and gave them abundant 
means of gaining the kingdom of heaven. Here 
we recognize a fourfold gift consisting (1) of a 
supernatural destiny; (2) a supernatural troth, 
or divine adoption as children of God; (3) a 
knowledge of both these facts divinely communi- 



98 REVEALED RELIGION. 

cated to our first parents; (4) proportionate 
means of attaining their exalted destiny. These 
means consisted (1) in an infusion of the divine 
virtues of faith, hope, and charity, as well as of 
the moral virtues and the gifts of the Holy Ghost ; 
(2) the means of preserving and growing in every 
virtue by the proper use of the privilege of prayer 
and by the partaking of the fruit of the tree of 
life. Keason asserts that whatever the God of in- 
finite perfection does, He does perfectly. Hence 
when God determined to create man He of neces- 
sity gave man whatever naturally pertains to the 
perfection of human nature. A finite agent might 
plan a work and fail in its execution through ir- 
resolution, or through a lack of ability or of 
means. But God's infinite perfection prevented 
Him from producing a physical, intellectual, or 
moral failure, when He had once decreed "to 
make man." The preternatural and supernatural 
prerogatives of our first parents, being superadded 
to nature by the God of goodness, can be proved 
by His revelation alone. Divine tradition gives 
us the entire doctrine on the subject. Most of 
this is contained in Holy Scripture. Thus we 
read of the preternatural gifts of: (1) Perfect rea- 
son; "God gave them [Adam and Eve! counsel, and 
a tongue, and eyes, and ears, and a heart to devise ; 
and He filled them with the knowledge of under- 
standing. He created in them the science of the 
spirit, He filled their heart with wisdom and 
showed them both good and evil" (Eccl. xvii. 5). 



PREROGATIVES OF OUR FIRST PARENTS. 99 

(2) Innocence and holiness, that "they were both 
naked — and were not ashamed." (3) Immunity 
from corruption and death, that God "created 
man incorruptible" (Wis. ii. 23), and "put them 
[Adam and Eve! in a paradise of pleasure 
to keep it" (Gen. ii. 15). But they were 
"to die the death" (id. ii. 17) as a penalty 
for sin if they ate of the tree of knowledge of good 
and evil. We likewise read in Sacred Scripture 
of the supernatural prerogatives of our first par- 
ents: (1) The supernatural destiny is recorded by 
the inspired writer when he says, "We shall go 
into the house of the Lord" (Ps. cxxi. 1). "Man 
shall go into the house of his eternity" (Eccles. 
xii. 5). "For," says St. Paul, "we have not here 
a permanent city, but we seek that which is to 
come" (Hebr. xiii. 14). (2) Of the familiar 
intercourse of our first parents with God as His 
children we read that "their eyes saw the majesty 
of His glory, and their ears heard His glorious 
voice" (Eccl. xvii. 11). 

(3) Our first parents were aware of their 
supernatural state and destiny. For "God made 
an everlasting covenant with them, and He showed 
them His justice and His judgments" (Eccl. xvii. 
10), that in whatever day soever they would eat 
of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, they 
should die the death (Gen. ii. 17). 

(4) The way to preserve these prerogatives of 
original justice and holiness was to "fear God 
and keep His commamiments" (Eccles. xii. 13). 

LOFtX 



100 REVEALED RELIGION. 

Hence, when our first parents disobeyed by eat- 
ing of the tree of knowledge instead of the tree 
of life (Gen. ii. 9), they were expelled, and an 
angel with a flaming sword guarded the tree of 
life (Gen. iii. 24) lest, perhaps, they put forth 
their hand and take also of the tree of life, and 
eat, and live forever (Gen. iii. 22). 

Objections. 

1. Even if Adam had not disobeyed, he would 
have died. — This is an unwarranted assumption. 
For God expressly said, "In what day soever thou 
shalt eat of it, thou shalt die the death" (Gen. 
ii. 17). 

2. The prerogatives of our first parents were 
all natural. — If so, man would have them to-day. 
Man's nature is essentially the same to-day as 
that of our first parents. 

3. Human nature was essentially corrupted by 
Adam's sin. In consequence mankind has for- 
feited free will. — Man still has free will, hence 
his nature was not essentially corrupted. 

4. Our first parents never had any special 
prerogatives. — This is contrary to all teaching, 
both human and divine. 

io. Destiny. 

The destiny of anything is the end or purpose 
for which it was made. When God created angels 
and men, He had a twofold purpose: (1) to mani- 
fest His glory, (2) to make these creatures the 



DESTINY. 101 

sharers of His happiness. The destiny of angels 
and men is, therefore, to glorify God and to par- 
take of the joys of heaven. The first end, all 
creatures must of necessity fulfil. The second end 
is left to the deliberate choice of angels and men. 
There is, however, this difference between angels 
and men in the attainment of the final destiny. 
Angels, as pure spirits, necessarily attain their 
final end by a single free determination. But 
man can work out his destiny only by a series of 
deliberate actions. Hence, when some angels re- 
belled against God, that act of their probation was 
final in its consequences. 

Eeason, as well as revelation, teaches us this 
destiny of creatures with intelligence and free 
will. Eeason asserts that the primary end of 
creation must be worthy of God. Now, since God 
alone is worthy of Himself, He Himself, that is, 
His glory, must necessarily be the main object of 
creation. Eeason, moreover, says that since all 
creatures are entirely dependent on almighty God, 
they are bound by their very nature to glorify 
their Maker. Hence God rightly says, "For My 
glory have I created him" (Is. xliii. 7). 

God could have given man a natural destiny, 
consisting in the acquisition of mere intellectual, 
moral and physical perfection. But in His good- 
ness He has adopted man as His child. As a child 
of God it is man's destiny to share the joys of 
heaven. This supernatural destiny is most uni- 
versally accepted by mankind. It is the funda- 



102 REVEALED RELIGION. 

mental doctrine of revealed Religion. In his as- 
surance to Abraham, God gave expression to it, 
saying, "Fear not, I am thy protector, and thy 
reward exceedingly great" (Gen. xv. 1). The 
Saviour, therefore, rightly asks, "What exchange 
will a man give for his soul?" (Matt. xvi. 26). 
And again He says, "What doth it profit a man if 
he gain the whole world, and suffer the loss of 
his own soul?" (Matt. xvi. 26). 

Objections. 

1. Man has no final end in his actions. — 
Reason teaches that man always acts "that it 
may be well with him and his." 

2. Man has no objective final end or destiny. 
— Reason and faith teach that he has. 

3. Man's final end consists in the honors, 
riches, and pleasures of life. — These cannot 
satisfy the craving of the human heart after eter- 
nal happiness. 

4. Man has no supernatural end or destiny. — 
Revelation and the common consent of mankind 
assert the contrary. 

ii. Heaven. 

Heaven is the place and condition of reward for 
those angels and men who have been faithful to 
God in their probation. St. Paul gives us some 
idea of this "reward exceedingly great" (Matt. v. 
12) when he says that "eye hath not seen, nor 
ear heard, neither hath it entered into the heart 



HEAVEN. 103 

of man to conceive, what things God hath pre- 
pared for those that love Him" (1 Cor. ii. 9). 
Both reason and revelation tell us that this re- 
ward is twofold. The one consists in the pos- 
session of God, the other in the enjoyment of the 
place and of the company of the elect. 

Reason says that every being is one, true and 
good. When we apply this simple doctrine to 
God, we obtain a clearer idea of the essential re- 
ward of heaven. God is the eternal uncreated 
Truth. He is man's final destiny. He is the es- 
sence of goodness and beauty. By means of the 
beatific vision the blessed see the eternal Truth 
as He is. In heaven they attain the end of a 
long and toilsome pilgrimage. Their hearts are 
satiated at the very source of all goodness and 
beauty. This is essentially the cause of that 
"glory, honor, and peace to every one that worketh 
good" (Rom. ii. 10) which St. Paul proclaims 
to the Romans. 

The other reward of heaven, called "accidental" 
to distinguish it from the possession and fruition 
of God, is unspeakably great and varied in itself, 
and threefold in its effect. It consists (1) in the 
possession of that perfect "liberty of children of 
God wherewith Christ hath made all men free"; 
(2) in the possession of a well-furnished "man- 
sion" in the kingdom of heaven; and (3) in the 
enjoyment of the company of the angels and 
saints, and especially of the blessed Mother of God. 

Some of the elect will enjoy a special liberty of 



104 REVEALED RELIGION. 

heaven. Those who have spread "the kingdom of 
God on earth" will be leaders among the celestial 
hosts. The martyrs will sing a hymn which no 
others can sing. And the virgins will be privi- 
leged to "follow the Lamb whithersoever He 
goeth." Naturally, then, God will wipe away 
every tear from the eyes of the elect. "They shall 
no longer hunger, nor thirst" (Apoc. vii. 16). 
Having patiently borne the heat and burdens of 
the day, they will now rest — rest secure against 
suffering and trial, rest in the possession of those 
joys that here below "eye hath not seen, nor ear 
heard, neither hath it entered into the heart of 
man to conceive" (1 Cor. ii. 9). 

Objections. 

1. God is perfectly understood in this life. — 
This remark is foolish, if not impious. 

2. In heaven the elect do not see God as He 
is. — "We shall see Him as He is" (1 John iii. 
2). 

3. The elect will enjoy the beatific vision only 
at the end of the world. — This assertion is con- 
trary to common sense as well as to revelation. 
Such conduct on the part of God might justify 
man in deferring the payment of his own debts 
to Judgment Day. 

12. Free Will. 

Free will, or moral liberty, is the power of elicit- 
ing and directing one's own actions, or refraining 



FREE WILL. 105 

from doing so when the requisite conditions are 
present. The growth of a seed placed in favorable 
soil is elicited and directed by fixed laws of na- 
ture. The beast of burden does its work through 
physical compulsion. Man, however, though he 
may be physically forced, has a will which is 
master of its own actions. 

The existence of free will in man is almost self- 
evident. For his daily actions bear testimony to 
his liberty, even when he acts from impulse and 
want of deliberation. This testimony of con- 
sciousness is emphasized by the existence of moral 
obligation. Every one admits the justice of moral 
law, and yet, how could there be a moral duty 
without a moral liberty? Indeed, moral duty is 
an evident proof of moral liberty. The truth is 
that the power which we call moral freedom is the 
very essence of the human will. For the will is 
defined as a rational appetite, that is, a faculty 
which is determined by reason, and not by neces- 
sity or physical coercion. 

The teaching of sound reason on this subject 
is confirmed by divine tradition and the words of 
Sacred Scripture. In fact, free will is the first 
requisite for human merit. It is essential in the 
service of God. Hence God also insists on its 
proper use. "Turn to Me," He said to the Jews 
of old, "and I will turn to you" (Zach. i. 3). 
"Serve God with a perfect heart and a willing 
mind" (1 Peter xxviii. 9). "Be converted to Me 
and you shall be saved" (Is. xlv. 22). "Blessed 



106 REVEALED RELIGION. 

is he that could do evil things, and hath not done 
them" (Eccl. xxxi. 10). 

Objections. 

1. A free volition has no cause. — Free will 
is itself a cause. 

2. Statistics prove that man is influenced by 
his surroundings. — Yes, but not forced by them. 

3. Free will is impossible because God can- 
not foresee its actions. — All things are present to 
God. 

4. Free will is opposed to psychology. — Your 
discovery is evidently false. 

13. Merit. 

Merit is that condition of an act which entitles 
its author to a reward. The only condition which 
confers a strict right to a reward is a contract. 
Suppose, therefore, that two men do an equal 
amount of work. The one has been hired, the 
other not. The first merits a reward, since "the 
laborer is worthy of his hire" (Luke x. 7) ; but 
the second has no strict right to compensation for 
his labor. These principles hold in every contract : 
(1) The contractor must furnish the work ; (2) the 
work must be as specified; (3) the reward for the 
same must be as stipulated. Now, God has freely 
entered into a contract with both angels and men. 
He gratuitously bestowed upon them prerogatives 
which made them His children and heirs of His 
heavenly kingdom. Then, as the Saviour teaches 



MERIT. 107 

in the parable of the talents, God gave every 
adopted child that He took on probation both the 
opportunity and the means of meriting the ex- 
ceedingly great reward of heaven. Finally, He 
deliberately promised that reward to them as the 
recompense of fidelity during the time of their 
probation. We need, therefore, not feel uneasy 
about God's fulfilling His part of the contract. 
He is both infinitely rich and just. 

But let us examine the two other conditions 
as they apply to man. To merit, man, as the 
adopted child of God, must still be on probation. 
We know that his probation ends with death. For 
"after this, judgment" (Hebr. ix. 27). Man can, 
therefore, merit only while he lives on earth. 
Consequently, the Holy Ghost warns him, saying : 
"Before thy death work justice" (Eccl. xiv. 17). 
"Whatsoever thy hand is able to do, do it earnest- 
ly; for neither work, nor reason, nor wisdom, nor 
knowledge shall be in hell, whither thou art has- 
tening" (Eccles. ix. 10). "Therefore," concludes 
St. Paul, "whilst we have time, let us do good" 
(Gal. vi. 10). 

To merit, moreover, it is necessary for man 
that he be spiritually alive. If he is dead in sin, 
like a dead branch, he can produce no fruit. "As 
the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it 
abide in the vine," says Our Saviour, "so neither 
can you, unless you abide in Me" (John xv. 5). 

Besides, a human act must have three charac- 
teristics to be meritorious. It must, in the first 



108 REVEALED RELIGION. 

place, be morally free. For where there is no 
liberty, there can be no just reward or punish- 
ment. Secondly, the act must have been per- 
formed for God, to be entitled to a reward from 
Him. Only such actions has God bound Himself 
to reward. All others He will reject, saying : "Be- 
hold in them your will is found" (Is. lviii. 4). 
"Amen I say to you, they have received their re- 
ward" (Matt. vi. 16). 

Finally, to be meritorious, the act miist be 
morally good, and that as the act of a child of 
God. Sin can never please God. Acts done from 
a natural motive cannot deserve a supernatural 
reward. Hence, since man is free, his actions 
must be prompted by divine faith, hope, and 
charity to be meritorious. Then, and only then, 
do the words of St. Paul apply, "To him that 
worketh the reward is reckoned according to the 
debt" (Rom. iv. 4). 

Objections. 

1. Merit is unnecessary for heaven. — Cer- 
tainly, if you don't intend to enter heaven. 

2. No human work can merit heaven. — But 
God can give heaven as a reward for man's fidelity. 

3. All will go to heaven. — Christ says, "If 
thou wilt enter life eternal, keep the command- 
ments" (Matt. xix. 17). 

4. Christ's merits were sufficient for all men. 
— Certainly sufficient. But they become effica- 
cious in us only when, like a branch on the vine, 
we produce His fruits — good works. 



DIVINE PROVIDENCE. 109 

5. Heaven is a gift. — It is both a gift and a 
reward, says St. Augustine. For when God re- 
wards our merits, He crowns His gifts. 

14. Divine Providence. 

Divine providence is that wise and benign 
supervision wherewith God directs all things to 
His greater honor and glory, and to the individual 
welfare of every creature. Providence literally 
means the foreseeing and providing for something. 
A good father of a family, for example, foresees 
the ordinary wants of those dependent on him and 
provides for the same. In a more perfect way 
does the heavenly Father foresee the minutest 
wants of all His creatures, and He amply provides 
that they may individually attain the object of 
their existence. This providence is partly an act 
of God's wisdom, and partly a manifestation of 
His paternal goodness. For God is not only a 
wise designer, but also a loving Father. He has 
not only foreseen the career of every creature in 
a general way, but has even directed everything 
to their individual welfare. So far does God 
exert this paternal solicitude that He often makes 
man's voluntary faults later redound to his spirit- 
ual and temporal gain. A striking exemplifica- 
tion of this providence is seen in the history of 
Joseph and his brethren in Egypt. The same is 
seen in the action of God in turning the curse of 
Balaam into a blessing (2 Esdr. xiii. 2). 

This wise providence of God on earth is not 



110 REVEALED RELIGION. 

confined to the welfare of creatures individually. 
It extends itself equally to them collectively, 
whether they be inanimate, irrational, or made to 
His image and likeness. There is but this differ- 
ence in the distribution of the benefits of divine 
providence: Its solicitude increases in proportion 
to the dignity of God's creatures. This divine 
solicitude for man was clearly taught by the 
Saviour in His Sermon on the Mount. "Consider 
the lilies of the field," He said, "how they grow; 
they labor not, neither do they spin. Behold the 
birds of the air, for they neither sow, nor do they 
reap, nor gather into barns. Are not you more 
than they? If God doth so clothe the grass of 
the field, how much more you, ye of little faith ? 
For your heavenly Father knoweth that you have 
need of all these things. Seek ye, therefore, first 
the kingdom of God and His justice, and all these 
things shall be added unto you" (Matt. vi. 26-33). 

Objections. 

1. How do you reconcile moral evil with di- 
vine providence? — God gave man the use of his 
free will. During his probation, God permits 
man to sin. 

2. How do you account for physical evil?— 
By sin, original sin, as history and revelation 
teach. 

3. How are we to harmonize the unequal dis- 
tribution of goods with divine providence? — In 
the first place it is true that God favors some 



PREDESTINA TION. Ill 

more than others, and all more than they deserve. 
But the unequal distribution of goods is primari- 
ly the result of human thrift, energy, and ability. 
It is the natural outgrowth of human society. 

4. Why do the wicked prosper and the good 
suffer? — God often permits the wicked to prosper 
here because He is just and foresees that they 
will not prosper in the next world. He permits 
the good to suffer (1) to atone for their faults 
in this life; (2) to disengage their hearts from 
the world; (3) to unite them to Him by making 
them conformable to His Son; and {4) thus to 
increase their reward in heaven. 

15. Predestination. 

Predestination is the providence of God in re- 
gard to those results which His grace will pro- 
duce in the order of time. What the ordinary 
providence of God is in the natural order, that 
predestination is in the supernatural. It is a 
token of God's special love. For, by His provi- 
dence, God takes care that "not a hair will fall 
from our head without His knowledge and con- 
sent" (Luke xxi. 18). But by His predestination, 
God helps all "of good will" to merit the eternal 
reward of heaven. Predestination, therefore, is 
that wise foresight of God which "reacheth from 
end to end mightily, and ordereth all things 
sweetly" (Wis. viii. 1), united to that love which 
has prepared "glory, honor, and peace" (Eom. ii. 
10) for all intelligent creatures, and bestows the 



112 REVEALED RELIGION. 

same on those who with good will co-operate with 
the grace of God. 

To form a correct idea of the holy, and salutary 
influence of divine predestination, man should try 
to look at things from God's point of view, as the 
final, formal, and efficient cause of creation. God 
is the divine architect. His goodness freely moves 
Him to magnify His glory by manifesting His 
perfections in and to intelligent and rational 
creatures. His infinite Truth is the plan, or 
model, according to which He proposes to repro- 
duce His perfections in creatures. Naturally, 
God is the efficient cause of this copy or reproduc- 
tion. His action, however, is not the same in 
regard to all creatures, for He acts with them 
according to their nature. In the physical order, 
the effect follows of necessity from the laws which 
He has established. But in the intellectual and 
moral order, the reproduction of God's perfection 
depends on the free co-operation of individual 
angels and men. From all eternity God sees the 
"good will" of His adopted children in ages to 
come. From eternity He, therefore, determines 
to do His share to make that "good will" effica- 
cious. This determination on the part of God to 
reproduce His perfections in His adopted children 
of "good will," according to the model of His 
infinite Truth, or only-begotten Son by nature, 
and the practical carrying out of the same, man 
calls the divine predestination. All adopted chil- 



PREDESTINATION. 113 

dren whom God foresaw to have practical "good 
will," He calls by the gift of faith, justifies by 
His grace and glorifies eventually in heaven. 
Hence St. Paul says, "Whom He foreknew, He 
also predestinated to be made conformable to the 
image of His Son: that He might be the first- 
born among many brethren, and whom He pre- 
destinated, them He also called. And whom He 
called, them He also justified. And whom He 
justified, them He also glorified" (Eom. vii. 29, 
30). 

Objections. 

1. Doesn't God predestine some to hell? — 
No. That is contrary to His perfection, justice, 
and holiness. 

2. Predestination has no regard to merit. — 
Eeason and revelation assert the contrary. 

3. Why did God create those who He fore- 
saw would become reprobates? — We must admit 
that God is infinitely perfect even when His ways 
are incomprehensible. Creation is a token of 
God's goodness. God created all for heaven, none 
for hell. In the present economy of God, not to 
"create those whom He foresaw to become repro- 
bates" would interfere with the law of genera- 
tion and, perhaps, destroy the human race. But 
aside from this, who can blame a father that sets 
up a worthless son in business, even when he fore- 
sees that the son will squander everything! Can 
you blame the goodness of the father for the 



114 REVEALED RELIGION. 

wickedness of the son ? "Is thy eye evil because I 
am good?" (Matt. xx. 15.) 

4. How is God's perfection manifested in the 
reprobates? — In the same way as the genius of 
the architect is manifested in Europe by the ruins 
of the Middle Ages. The reprobates, having de- 
liberately refused to glorify God's goodness in 
heaven, must glorify His justice in hell. 



TEE SIN OF TEE ANGELS. 115 

III. Sin and Its Consequences. 
i . The Sin of the Angels. 

The sin of the angels was a sin of pride. For 
the Holy Ghost says that "pride is the beginning of 
all sin" (Eccl. x. 15). The nature of the proba- 
tion to which the angels were subjected is not 
clearly revealed. Eeason asserts that, as free 
agents, it was proper that the angels be subjected 
to a probation. Thus only could they enter heaven 
freely. As creatures, therefore, and as free beings 
on probation, they should freely conform to the 
mind and will of their Maker. The importance of 
this actual conformity becomes more apparent 
when we consider that in accordance with their 
spiritual nature, their probation was to consist in 
only one deliberate act. For, as it is the nature 
of man to work out his destiny by a series of acts, 
so it is the nature of an angel to reach its final 
end, or lose it irreparably, by one single act. 

We know from Sacred Scripture that the oc- 
casion of our first parents' fall was the command- 
ment not to eat of the tree of knowledge (Gen. 
ii. 17). But revelation is not so explicit as to 
the nature of the trial to which the angels were 
subjected. The common opinion, however, main- 
tains that the occasion of their fall was the mys- 



116 REVEALED RELIGION. 

tery of the Incarnation of the Son of God. Ac- 
cording to this opinion, God revealed this truth 
to the angels and commanded them to adore the 
Word Incarnate. This doctrine is based on the 
words of St. Paul, "When God bringeth in the 
First-begotten into the world, He saith: Let all 
the angels of God adore Him" (Heb. i. 6). 

One-third of the celestial hosts, led by Lucifer, 
rebelled against their Maker. "And the tail of 
the dragon, which is Lucifer, drew the third part 
of the stars of heaven, and cast them to the earth" 
(Apoc. xii. 4). The malice of their sin was vastly 
intensified by the fact that the rebellious angels 
did not fall through error or passion. They in- 
considerately consulted their own pleasure, with 
no regard to the will of God. Their choice was 
final and irreparable, according to their very 
nature, as well as by the positive will of God. The 
prophet Isaias describes this proud rebellion. St. 
John and St. Peter tell us the consequences of 
this sin. "How art thou fallen, Lucifer, who 
didst rise in the morning?" asks the prophet, 
"thy pride is brought down to hell. And thou 
saidst in thy heart: I will sit in the mountain of 
the covenant, in the sides of the north. I will 
ascend above the height of the clouds. I will be 
like the Most High" (Is. xiv. 11-14). St. John 
goes on to tell us how the faithful angels gathered 
in defense of their Maker. And "there was a great 
battle in heaven, and Michael and his angels 
fought with the dragon, and the dragon fought 



TEE SIN OF TEE ANGELS. 117 

and his angels, and they prevailed not, neither 
was their place found any more in heaven. And 
that great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, 
who is called the devil and Satan, who seduced 
the whole world; and he was cast into the earth, 
and his angels were thrown down with him" 
(Apoe. xii. 7-9). Our Saviour therefore says, "I 
saw Satan like lightning falling from heaven" 
(Luke x. 18). For, says St. Peter, "God spared 
not the angels that sinned, but delivered them 
drawn down by infernal ropes to the lower hell, 
unto torments, to be reserved unto judgments" 
(2 Peter ii. 4). 

Objections. 

1. How could the angels sin? — By a perverse 
use of their free will. 

2. How could Michael, an archangel, overcome 
Lucifer, the prince of angels? — By the power of 
God. 

3. Where are the fallen angels now? — Some 
in hell, others about the earth. 

4. Do the fallen angels on earth suffer? — Yes; 
they carry their hell with them. 

5. Why were not all condemned to hell im- 
mediately? — Perhaps on account of a difference 
in their malice. At any rate the reason has not 
been revealed. It may also have been on account 
of their temporal destiny to execute the decrees 
of providence, which they now oppose. Perhaps, 
also, to try man, that he may prove himself worthy 



118 REVEALED RELIGION. 

of the inheritance which the angels forfeited by 
their sin. 

2. Hell. 

Hell is the place and condition to which God 
condemns all angels and men who finish their 
probation at enmity with Him. Hell was orig- 
inally created for "the devil and his angels" 
(Matt. xxv. 4). It will be the eternal lot of all 
the reprobate. 

Like the doctrine of the existence of God and 
the immortality of the human soul, the truth of 
a place of reward and a place of punishment is 
indelibly recorded on every human heart. It 
flows from the very idea of a God of holiness and 
justice, dealing with intelligent and free crea- 
tures. It is necessary also as a sanction of God's 
law. For "the fear of the Lord is the beginning 
of wisdom" (Prov. i. ?). 

This fundamental dogma of reason is insisted 
on again and again in Sacred Scripture. Only 
"the fool" who "says in his heart there is no 
God" will venture to add, "there is no hell." 
Corresponding to the double malice of sin, there is 
a twofold punishment in hell. The one is called 
the pain of loss, the other the pain of sense. The 
first consists in the loss of God forever. This is 
that "worm of conscience which dieth not" (Is. 
lxvi. 24). At death, the soul realizes that God 
alone can make it eternally happy. If it has vol- 
untarily incurred the loss of God during life, it 
must suffer the remorse of its folly without sym- 



HELL. 119 

pathy, without advantage, and without consola- 
tion. The second punishment is called the pain of 
sense. This tortures the sinner for the perverse 
use he made of his free will by lavishing his affec- 
tions inordinately upon creatures. It consists (1) 
in the slavery of Satan — "They shall be tormented 
by day and by night forever and forever" (Apoc. 
xx. 10) ; (2) in the imprisonment of hell — "They 
shall be shut up there in prison" (Is. xxiv. 22) ; 
and (3) in the torture of the fire of hell, where 
"every one will be salted by fire" (Mark ix. 48). 
"By what things a man sins," says the Holy 
Ghost, "by the same will he be punished" (Wis. 
xi. 17). This judgment applies also to the fallen 
angels. For Lucifer sinned by wishing to be 
like unto God and thus reign over the other 
angels. He is punished by being made to reign 
over all the reprobates in hell and surpass them all 
in suffering. There the seraphim, cherubim, and 
thrones that followed him to perdition constitute 
his throne and minister the curse of God to him. 
There the fallen dominations, virtues, and powers 
conspire with him to overthrow the Church of 
Christ and make snares for the destruction of 
human souls. From there the fallen principali- 
ties, archangels, and angels go to tempt all of 
"good will" and execute their master's orders in 
his kingdom of the world. When they succeed 
by means of "the concupiscence of the eyes, the 
concupiscence of the flesh, and the pride of life" 
(1 John ii. 16) in ruining a soul, they bring 



120 REVEALED RELIGION. 

that soul in triumph to hell. At the throne of 
Lucifer they claim as their reward the privilege 
to torment that soul "by day and by night forever 
and forever" (Apoc. xx. 10). While executing 
the sentence of "the just Judge of the living and 
the dead," they taunt that soul with its misfortune. 
They laugh at its destruction. They ever re- 
mind the reprobate of time misspent, of opportuni- 
ties lost, of graces abused, and above all, of their 
folly in preferring the pains of hell to the infinite 
joys of heaven. Thus the imps of hell deliver 
those souls up to despair. "They imprison them 
in a prison" (Is. xxiv. 22), where "their worm 
dieth not, and the fire is not extinguished" 
(Mark ix. 43). Thus the reprobate must suffer 
to the day of doom, when Jesus Christ will renew 
their sentence, saying, "Depart from Me, you ac- 
cursed, into everlasting fire" (Matt. xxv. 47). 

Objections. 

1. Hell is against reason. — Say rather that 
your desire is against reason. 

2. God is so good. — Because God is so good He 
died on the cross to save you from the eternal 
torments of hell. God is good, but He is just and 
holy likewise. 

3. Eternal damnation for a momentary sin 
is unjust. — Like capital punishment for murder. 

4. Probation will continue after death. — No, 
6ir! You had better "make hay while the sun 
shines." 



INFLUENCE OF TEE SPIRIT WORLD. 121 



3. Influence of the Spirit World. 

The spirit world, in its widest sense, includes 
God, angels, devils, and the souls of men. God 
is a Spirit infinitely perfect, who of His very- 
nature seeks the welfare of all His creatures. 
Angels have become the lasting friends of God 
by their fidelity. The devils drew the curse of 
God upon themselves by rebelling against Him. 
Human souls are spirits, destined to union with 
a body. 

God influences man not only through the senses, 
by the effects of His providence, but also by di- 
rectly enlightening his mind and immediately in- 
fluencing his will to choose a particular good. 
This is usually called the effect of God's grace. 

Created spirits, however, can influence man only 
through the senses, and that only in so far as God 
permits them and man yields to their influence. 
Belonging to a higher order than man, angels 
and devils know many secrets of nature that are 
profound mysteries to man. With this super- 
human knowledge and power, angels and devils 
can transport material bodies, though not sub- 
stantially transform them, and produce other ef- 
fects that are wonderful and, at first sight, may 
seem miraculous to man. Thus they can act on 
the external senses in two ways, by a corporeal 
transmutation or apparition, which is of rare oc- 
currence, and by an illusory sensation with its 



122 REVEALED RELIGION. 

consequent impression on the imagination. They 
can also enter the body of man and act on his 
internal senses by directly impressing an image 
on his imagination, by affecting his material mem- 
ory, and by working on his sensitive appetite. 
Thus they exercise their power of persuasion, and 
often influence man either for good or for evil. 
In this way the good angel, who has been ap- 
pointed man's guardian, influences him to "seek 
first the kingdom of God and His justice" (Matt, 
vi. 33), while at the same time he protects man 
against harm resulting from the laws of nature 
or the malice of the evil spirits. 

On the other hand, as the enemies of man and 
his salvation, the devils do all they can to effect 
his temporal and eternal ruin. They not only 
counteract the influence of the good angel, but 
even attempt to gain possession of man, and work, 
through his instrumentality, as God alone can do. 
When they try to influence man actually to do 
evil, by working on his senses or exciting his 
passions, we call their action a "temptation/' 
The Apostle St. Peter warns us against these 
temptations, saying, "Be ye sober and watch be- 
cause your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, 
goeth about seeking whom he may devour. Whom 
resist ye strong in faith: knowing that the same 
affliction befalls your brethren who are in thd 
world" (1 Peter v. 8). St. Paul exhorts the 
faithful to resist the devils, saying, "Put ye on 
the armor of God, that you may be able to stand 



INFLUENCE OF THE SPIRIT WORLD. 123 

against the deceits of the devil. For your wrest- 
ling is not against flesh and blood, but against 
principalities and powers, against the rulers of 
the world of this darkness, against the spirits of 
wickedness in the high places" (Eph. vi. 11). 

When the devil, by divine permission, surrounds 
or enters a human body and exercises dominion 
over it, we call his action "diabolical possession." 
The Gospel narrates that the Saviour not only 
cured many persons afflicted in this way (Matt, 
iv. 24, xii., viii.; Mark i. 32; Luke xi.), but 
also gave His ministers power to do the same 
(Matt. x. 1; Mark xvi. 17). 

When the devil aids man to perform marvelous 
deeds, as the Bible tells us was the case with 
the Egyptian magicians, we call their action "di- 
abolical magic" (Exod. vii. 22, viii. 18, xxii. 18; 
Levit. xix. 31; Kings xxviii. ; Wis. xvii. 7; Matt, 
xxiv. 24; Thess. ii. 9). Though these and other 
diabolical manifestations have grown rarer since 
the triumph of Christianity, they still occur in 
our day, especially in heathen lands. 

During man's earthly sojourn, one human being 
can influence the mind and will of another only 
through the external senses. This is done either 
directly or indirectly by means of words and ac- 
tions. Since the faculties and the senses of some 
individuals are naturally stronger and more de- 
veloped than those of others, some persons may 
have power of perception and influence that may 
seem marvelous to others. In this way there may 



124 REVEALED RELIGION. 

exist natural causes, still unknown, which produce 
such varied phenomena as presentiment, tele- 
pathy, and hypnotism. Hypnotism may be called 
a "human possession." It consists in one person 
gaining control over another person by subjecting 
him to a nervous sleep. While this sleep lasts, the 
hypnotizer can influence that person at will, as 
though he were a part of himself. This mysteri- 
ous procedure can be justified only in an extreme 
emergency, and only with every precaution against 
harm. The danger of harm arises from (1) a 
loss of self-control in the subject; (2) a conse- 
quent undue power of influence over him by the 
hypnotizer, and (3) above all, from the fact that 
hypnotism paves the way for diabolical influence. 
For, to state the case mildly, it cannot be denied 
that hypnotism, especially when promiscuously 
practised, at least offers the devil a splendid op- 
portunity to interpose his insidious agency for 
that of man. 

When a human soul has left the body, it or- 
dinarily has no further relations with this world. 
"After death, the judgment"; then heaven, hell, 
or temporary purgatory will be that soul's abode. 
By special dispensation of Providence, however, 
it has happened, as history testifies, that a human 
soul returned to the scene of its former activities. 
Thus it has happened that at the moment of death 
a soul manifested herself to distant relatives and 
friends. It has even happened, with divine per- 
mission, that the soul of a deceased made her 



INFLUENCE OF THE SPIRIT WORLD. 125 

presence felt in a certain place for a long time 
after death or at stated intervals. 

Objections. 

1. I don't believe in the spirit world. — Your 
unbelief does not rule it out of existence. 

2. I don't believe in the devil. — That will 
make you an easy victim for him. 

3. The devil has no influence in the world. — 
Voltaire said, "Deny the devil and you deny the 
Saviour." 

4. This talk about the devil has been overdone. 
— Do you refer to the language of St. Peter, or 
of St. Paul? 

5. What can Satan do to me? — Whatever God 
permits. Eead the Book of Job. 

6. How does Satan tempt man? — Much the 
same as man tempts man, only more effectively. 

7. Why does God permit this tempting? — 
To give man an opportunity to merit the crown 
which the devils lost by sin. 

8. I cannot convict Satan of tempting me. — 
That shows his shrewdness and experience. 

9. What knowledge do fortune-tellers possess? 
— Usually only the knowledge of proving to 
the world that "the fool and his money are easily 
parted." 

10. What is spiritism? — A mixture of imposi- 
tion and devil-worship. 

11. Is every ghost-story to be believed? — No. 



126 REVEALED RELIGION. 

4. Original Sin. 

Original sin is the privation of original justice 
and holiness which we inherit from Adam. This 
privation was voluntarily and directly effected 
by Adam's first sin. It is transmitted to all his 
descendants, because in Adam all have sinned. 
In eating the forbidden fruit, Adam acted in a 
twofold capacity — in his own name, and as head 
of the human race. His action may be compared 
to that of the father of a family who gambles 
or drinks. That father is aware that in squan- 
dering the family possesions he impoverishes not 
only himself, but every member of his family as 
well. So Adam was perfectly aware, when he 
committed this grievous sin, that by God's decree 
he was acting not only as an individual, but also 
as the head of the human race. Thus Adam de- 
prived himself and all his descendants of the 
supernatural and preternatural prerogatives with 
which God had endowed mankind, and weakened 
human nature by inclining it to evil. In conse- 
quence of this first sin of Adam, man comes into 
the world in spiritual poverty. Instead of possess- 
ing original justice and holiness, as intended by 
God, man comes into the world as an enemy of 
God. 

The unanimous teaching of tradition, both 
sacred and profane, on the subject of original sin, 
is clearly stated by St. Paul : "By the disobedience 
of one man, many were made sinners" (Rom. v. 
14) ; "As by one man sin entered into this world, 



ORIGINAL SIN. 127 

and by sin death, so death passed upon all men, 
in whom all have sinned" (Eom. v. 12). Hence 
the Psalmist rightly says, "Behold I was con- 
ceived in iniquity, and in sin did my mother con- 
ceive me" (Ps. 1. 7). 

Objections. 

1. There never was an "original sin." — This 
is a most gratuitous, though not original asser- 
tion. 

2. Mankind did not sin in Adam. — Better 
read St. Paul's Epistle to the Bomans (v. 12-14) 
again. 

3. Children to-day are born in the state in 
which God created Adam. — If that were true, 
David would not have lamented the sin in which 
his mother conceived him (Ps. 1. 7). 

4. Didn't Eve commit the first sin? — Yes, 
but the first sin was not the "original sin." 

5. Wouldn't there have been an original sin 
if Eve had sinned and Adam not? — No. 

6. Doesn't original sin consist in concupis- 
cence? — No; inordinate concupiscence is a conse- 
quence of original sin. 

7. Doesn't original sin consist in suffering and 
death? — No. "Death is the wages of sin" (Bom. 
vi. 23). 

8. Isn't original sin the imputation of Adam's 
guilt? — It is rather the sin of the human race. 

9. How is original sin transmitted? — By 
human generation. 



128 REVEALED RELIGION. 

10. Would the Son of God have become man if 
man had not sinned? — That is not revealed. If 
man had not sinned, the Son of God would cer- 
tainly not have come as Kedeemer. 

5. Consequences of the Fall. 

The consequences of the fall of Adam were (1) 
the loss of all supernatural and preternatural 
gifts; (2) an inordinate inclination in mankind 
to evil. Our first parents were fully aware of 
the conditions of their probation. They knew per- 
fectly that the gifts of original justice and 
holiness were not only gratuitous in their bestowal, 
but conditional likewise in duration. They 
fully comprehended the commandment God had 
given to Adam when He said, "In what day soever 
thou shalt eat of the tree of knowledge, thou 
shalt die the death" (Gen. ii. 17). But only after 
''the eyes of both were opened" by "the knowl- 
edge of good and evil" did they fully realize the 
consequences of that sin, the gravity of which they 
had fully comprehended before. 

The consequences of original sin for mankind 
are three in number: (1) The corruption of 
human nature. This consists in a darkening of 
the mind, a weakening of the will, and an inor- 
dinate inclination to evil in the irascible and 
concupiscible appetites. (2) The second effect 
of original sin is a liability to suffering and death, 
with all the physical and mental misery that these 
terms imply. (3) The third effect is the eternal 



THE PROMISE OF PARDON. 129 

loss of heaven, if this sin is not forgiven before 
man's probation ends. This truth Our Saviour 
brought home to Mcodemus, when He said, "Un- 
less a man be born again of water and the Holy 
Ghost, he cannot enter the kingdom of heaven" 
(John iii. 5). 

Objections. 

1. Human nature was essentially changed by 
original sin. — This assertion is directly contrary 
to revelation. 

2. Free will was lost by original sin. — And 
yet you freely make this false assertion. 

3. Is human nature weaker now than it would 
have been had God created man in the state of 
pure nature? — That is a very probable opinion 
(see Luke x.) 

4. Is concupiscence equally strong in all?— 
By no means. In some it is increased by actual 
sin and bad habits; in others it is weakened by 
a life of grace and virtue. 

5. Do little children dying in original sin 
go to heaven? — No; according to the rule laid 
down by Our Saviour (John iii. 5). 

6. What is their condition? — Eevelation does 
not say. They may enjoy a natural happiness. 

6. The Promise of Pardon. 

God did not abandon man after the sin of 
Adam, but gave him hope of pardon and the prom- 



130 REVEALED RELIGION. 

ise of a Eedeemer. When the angels were on pro- 
bation, they could, according to their intellectual 
nature, work out their destiny by a single act of 
submission to the divine will. Many rebelled, 
however, and were confirmed in wickedness, by 
the malice of their own choice. Being thus immor- 
tally fixed in their opposition to God, He could 
offer them no hope of pardon, but had to punish 
them without mercy. Man's probation is of a dif- 
ferent nature. Being a rational creature, he could 
attain his final end only by a series of deliberate 
acts. Though he sinned grievously, he was not 
confirmed in wickedness; his probation was still 
in progress. It is true that by squandering the 
treasures of grace, which God had so lavishly be- 
stowed upon him, man justly merited death. But 
the sentence which he had pronounced against 
himself remained suspended. God, therefore, 
"who does not wish the death of the sinner, but 
rather that he be converted and live," took ad- 
vantage of this condition to offer man hope of 
pardon. The Blessed Trinity again took counsel, 
even as they did in "making man to their own 
image and likeness/' Then the eternal Word of- 
fered Himself as Redeemer of the human race. 
He wished to assume both our nature and the re- 
sponsibility of our guilt. "Behold, I come," He 
said, "to do Thy will, God" (Ps. xxxix. 8). 
Thus the infinite wisdom and love and mercy of 
God discovered a way to avert the sentence of 
damnation from man and give him hope for life 



TEE PROMISE OF PARDON. 131 

eternal — yes, grounds of hope that would suffice 
to the end of his probation. 

God, therefore, said to the serpent which 
tempted Eve, "I will put enmity between thee 
and the woman, and thy seed and her seed; she 
shall crush thy head, and thou shalt lie in wait 
for her heel" (Gen. iii. 15). God then ratified 
the temporal punishment which our first parents 
had brought upon the race. Addressing Adam, 
He said, "Cursed is the earth in thy work. With 
labor and toil, in the sweat of thy face, shalt 
thou eat thy bread till thou return to the earth, out 
of which thou wast taken: for dust thou art and 
unto dust thou shalt return" (Gen. iii. 17-19). 
Then the Almighty addressed Eve, and said, "In 
sorrow shalt thou bring forth children, and thou 
shalt be under thy husband's power, and he shall 
have dominion over thee" (Gen. iii. 16). 

Objections. 

1. Could God have offered pardon to the re- 
bellious angels? — No; not if their probation 
ended with the commission of their sin. 

2. Was God obliged to offer pardon to man ? — 
By no means; His offer was the result of His in- 
finite love and mercy. 

3. Did man lose his supernatural destiny by 
sin? — No; but he lost the possibility of attain- 
ing it. 

4. What, then, would have been man's con- 
dition in the next world without the promise of 



132 REVEALED RELIGION. 

pardon? — The same as that of the fallen angels. 
They, too, retain their supernatural destiny. 

7. Actual Sin. 

Actual sin is any deliberate thought, word or 
deed contrary to the law of God. By His holy 
law, God has placed a limit to the exercise of that 
free will with which He has endowed His intelli- 
gent and rational creatures. His object in limit- 
ing, or circumscribing, the exercise of their free 
will was to give these creatures an opportunity 
of proving themselves worthy children of God, 
and thus meriting heaven by preferring God's 
will to their own. 

When a creature with a free will knowingly 
and willingly transgresses God's law, he commits a 
sin. This transgression is, therefore, different 
from original sin, which, though an actual sin in 
Adam, is inborn in his descendants. Actual sin 
is also called personal sin, because it is attributed 
to the person who commits it. 

Eeason makes a distinction between sin and 
sin. It asserts that one sin may be a serious trans- 
gression of God's law, another only a slight in- 
fraction of the same. In daily life, man readily 
sees the difference between stealing five dollars 
and stealing five cents. The first he calls a serious 
wrong to his neighbor, the other a slight one. A 
serious offence against God's law is a mortal sin; 
a slight offence, a venial sin. A serious offence 
against a fellow man severs the tenderest ties of 



ACTUAL SIN. 133 

friendship. A slight offence, on the other hand, 
only dampens the ardor of fraternal charity. The 
same is the case in man's dealings with God. A 
mortal sin robs man entirely of God's friendship. 
A venial sin makes him less pleasing to God. 

The soul of a Christian has a twofold life, 
natural and supernatural. The natural life of 
the soul is immortal, as we have already seen. 
The supernatural life of the soul consists in sanc- 
tifying grace. This makes man an adopted child 
of God and a co-heir with Christ of the kingdom 
of heaven. A serious transgression of God's law 
destroys the supernatural, or spiritual life. Such 
a transgression is called mortal sin, from the 
Latin word "mors," which means death. On this 
account God said to Adam, "In what day thou 
shalt eat of the tree of knowledge, thou shalt die 
the death" (Gen. ii. 17). 

Mortal sin is a very great evil. It is, in fact, 
the greatest evil in the world; for it alone de- 
prives man of his right to God and heaven, which 
certainly is the greatest good. To effect this great 
evil, three things are necessary: (1) a grievous 
transgression of God's law; (2) a knowledge of 
the law; and (3) a free consent of the will in 
transgressing it. If one of these conditions is 
wanting, the act is either no sin at all, or at most 
a venial sin. In particular instances it is some- 
times no easy matter to decide when a sin is 
mortal. In general, however, it is plain that what- 
ever is intended as a serious harm to God, to the 



134 REVEALED RELIGION. 

human race or to a particular individual is always 
considered the matter of a mortal sin. Revelation, 
besides, specifies many sins as serious transgres- 
sions. As far as the knowledge of the law cur- 
tailing man's liberty is concerned, it is necessary 
that man, at the moment of sinning, advert to the 
fact that he is acting contrary to God's law in a 
serious manner. This may be done in an instant, 
or it may be the result of" reflection, just as the 
consent of the will may be instantaneous, or the 
result of more or less deliberation. 

Objections. 

1. There is no such thing as sin. — "The just 
man falleth seven times in the day" (Prov. xxiv 
16). 

2. Why does God punish sin so severely? — Be- 
cause sin is so great an evil. 

3. In what does the malice of sin consist? — 
In the base contempt and the vile ingratitude 
with which the sinner rebels against the God of 
infinite majesty and goodness. 

4. How can a sin be an infinite offence, when 
it is the act of a finite being?— The malice of 
an offence is measured by the dignity of the 
person offended. The dignity of God is infinite ; 
hence also the offence. 

5. How many venial sins make a mortal sin? 
— As a rule sins do not coalesce like dollars and 
cents. Venial sins weaken man to resist tempta- 
tion and thus lead to grievous offences; but no 



THE FORGIVENESS OF SIN. 135 

number of venial sins, however great, equal one 
mortal sin in gravity. 

6. What is a capital sin? — A sin which leads 
to other sins. There are seven capital sins, viz., 
pride, covetousness, lust, anger, gluttony, envy, 
and sloth. 

8. The Forgiveness of Sin. 

The forgiveness of sin is the remission of the 
guilt and the punishment of sin. The past can- 
not be recalled, but its errors may often be rem- 
edied. It is thus with the sins of the past during 
life. Every sin produces a twofold effect — it of- 
fends God and it deserves punishment. The same 
persons that were affected by the sin are primarily 
concerned in its forgiveness. These are God and 
the sinner. God, being infinite, can forgive any 
sin. Being infinitely merciful, "God does not 
wish the death of the sinner, but rather that he 
be converted and live." The sinner, while he is 
on earth, may return to that God against whom 
he rebelled by sin. For, "while there is life 
there is hope." As long as the sinner is on proba- 
tion, therefore, the forgiveness of man's sins is 
possible, both on the part of God and on the part 
of man. 

Naturally, for the actual forgiveness of sin, 
man must co-operate with God. It does not suffice 
that God offer pardon; that pardon must also be 
accepted by man. To accept the offered pardon 
man must undo the sinful action, which virtually 



136 REVEALED RELIGION. 

endures in his heart. This he does by a true con- 
version. By sin man turned away from God and 
lavished his heart's affection inordinately upon 
the creature. He must now detest his sinful 
conduct, sever his heart from inordinate attach- 
ment to creatures, turn back to God and ask His 
pardon. This is the teaching of the Saviour, in the 
parable of the prodigal son. That son offended 
his father, by deserting him for the sake of sin- 
ful companions. When he entered into himself, 
however, that son detested his wicked conduct, 
left his sinful companions, returned to his father, 
asked his father's pardon, and promised fidelity 
for the future. 

In addition to what the very nature of a free 
transgression requires for its forgiveness, God may 
insist on the fulfilment of other conditions before 
He grants the coveted pardon. He is the creditor, 
man the debtor. This right of God becomes even 
more apparent when we consider that man is an 
insolvent debtor. He can never pay his debt. He 
can only beg God to cancel it. Now, if an ordi- 
nary debtor can never prescribe to his creditor the 
conditions under which he will pay his debt, much 
less can man prescribe to God the conditions of 
his forgiveness. The simple truth is, that man 
is a beggar at the throne of God's mercy. The 
truth is, that the severest conditions which God 
could impose would be light for the sinner who 
longs to recover his right to heaven and escape 
the torments of hell. 



THE FORGIVENESS OF SIN. 137 

It is a historic fact that from the time of 
Adam to oar own day, God has always insisted 
on some confession or acknowledgment of sin be- 
fore granting pardon. Thus Adam confessed, "I 
did eat" (Gen. iii. 12), before God gave him even 
the hope of pardon. Cain, on the other hand, 
when prompted by God to acknowledge his sin, 
boldly asked, "Am I my brother's keeper?" Be- 
cause he refused to confess, God said to him, 
"Cursed shalt thou be upon the earth" (Gen. iv. 
12). God insists on confession, because it is 
natural, and this in two ways: (1) as an external 
manifestation of the interior sorrow; (2) as a 
means of recovering peace of conscience. This 
is especially the case when the person to whom the 
acknowledgment is made is qualified to act in 
God's name. Then confession is as natural a 
means of curing disease of the soul as taking 
medicine is for the cure of the body. 

In addition to the confession of sin, God pre- 
scribed in the Mosaic Law the offering of a sacri- 
fice of atonement. In the Book of Leviticus 
(iv.-vii.) we read what sacrifice had to be offered 
for particular sins. This sacrifice, the ancient 
Jewish commentators tell us in the Talmud, was 
always preceded by a confession on the part of the 
penitent. In fact, the sacrifice, which was offered 
in public, was itself a public confession, not only 
of sin in general, but of a particular sin. 

This practice of confessing sins as a token of 
repentance was practised at the time of St. John 



138 REVEALED RELIGION. 

the Baptist. For the Evangelist tells us that 
"then went out to him Jerusalem, and all Judea 
and the country about the Jordan, and were bap- 
tized by him, confessing their sins" (Matt. iii. 
5). 

One reason why God insisted on confession is, 
no doubt, to give the sinner the opportunity to re- 
pair the pride of his rebellion by an act of humili- 
ation. A great reason, however, is the desire of 
the God of mercy to give man a strong assurance 
of forgiveness. For it cannot be denied that man, 
on the one hand, desires the greatest possible cer- 
tainty in regard to his salvation, and, on the other 
hand, is no competent judge in his own case. 
For how easily would he not be influenced by 
self-love to imagine that he had adequately satis- 
fied God and repaired His law, or by fear to torture 
himself about his repentance? Certainty of for- 
giveness must, therefore, come from God. He could 
give man that certainty in two ways: (1) direct- 
ly, by a revelation; or (2) through the agency of 
a fellow man. Now, history tells us that God has 
always treated with man through the agency of 
man. By the Law of Moses, God gave His 
priests of the Old Law the power of declaring the 
sin forgiven when the sacrifice had been offered 
for the repentant sinner. The priest "shall pray 
for him and for his sin, and it shall be forgiven 
him" (Levit. iv. 35). This power which the 
priests of the Old Law possessed of declaring sins 
forgiven, Jesus Christ perfected in the New Dis- 



TEE INCARNATION. 139 

pensation. By giving the priests of His Church 
the power of forgiving sin in His name, He not 
only makes them the agents of His mercy, but 
also gives "to all of good will" the divine assurance 
of forgiveness. 

Objections. 

1. A change of heart is all that God requires 
for forgiveness. — That assertion is not founded 
on the words of Sacred Scripture. 

2. I feel God forgives me when I stop sinning. 
— Such a doctrine would console particularly the 
thief and the slanderer. 

3. I confess my sins to God in my chamber. 
— But what certainty of forgiveness do you de- 
rive from this? 

4. Confession is humiliating. — And sin is a 
rebellion. Hence confession is both a cure and a 
preventive. 

5. Confession is too difficult. — A sick person 
gladly takes the bitterest medicine to recover his 
health. Confession is an easy and divine remedy 
for a sick soul. 

g. The Incarnation. 

The Incarnation is the union of the divine and 
the human natures in the Second Person of the 
Blessed Trinity. The Son of God assumed human 
nature to become the Saviour of the world. As 
Saviour He imposed upon Himself a threefold 
task: (1) to make adequate reparation to the 



140 REVEALED RELIGION. 

justice of His heavenly Father for the sins of man- 
kind; (2) to free man from the slavery of Satan; 
and (3) to make him again a worthy child of 
God. The first object we call the Atonement; the 
second the Redemption, and the third, the Sanc- 
tification of mankind. 

God could have saved the human race in many 
ways without the humiliating Incarnation and 
cruel death of His divine Son. The conferring of 
original justice and holiness, for instance, was gra- 
tuitous in the first place; might it not have been 
so again ? Then, God might have accepted the sat- 
isfaction of an angel or of a human being, if He 
so desired. It was really to show His exceeding- 
ly great love for us that God became man. "Christ 
hath loved us, and hath delivered Himself for 
us" (Eph. v. 2), says St. Paul. But if, as was 
the case, God insisted on an adequate satisfaction, 
or reparation, then the Incarnation was absolute- 
ly necessary for the restoration of the human race. 
For only a divine Person could make adequate 
atonement for the infinite malice of sin. 

The personality resulting from the union of the 
human and the divine natures in the Second Per- 
son of the Blessed Trinity is the God-Man, Jesus 
Christ. At the very moment in which the soul 
of Jesus was created and united to His human 
body, His divine nature was substantially united 
to both His body and His soul. Thus were the 
two natures, human and divine, united in one 
divine Person. This Person, Jesus Christ, is the 



THE INCARNATION. 141 

Son of God. "The Holy Ghost shall come upon 
thee," said the angel to the Blessed Virgin; "and 
the power of the Most High shall overshadow 
thee. And therefore also the Holy which shall 
be born of thee shall be called the Son of God" 
(Luke i. 35). 

The divinity of Jesus Christ is emphasized by 
St. John, who declares that, "The Word was made 
flesh" (John i. 14), as well as by the Saviour 
Himself, who says, "The Father and I are one" 
(John x. 30), and, "Before Abraham was made 
I am" (John viii. 58). The humanity of Christ 
naturally follows from the words "conceived," 
"born of a Virgin," "suffered," and "died" which 
the sacred writers use in speaking of Jesus 
Christ. 

The human will of the God-Man manifested it- 
self frequently during His public life. It was 
especially during the anguish in the garden, how- 
ever, that His human will was revealed, recoiling 
as it did before the impending suffering and death 
which the God-Man had chosen to undergo for 
the sake of mankind. In that awful struggle be- 
tween His divine and His human will, Jesus gave 
us a sublime example of conformity to God's holy 
will. "Father, if Thou wilt," He prayed, "remove 
this chalice from Me: but yet not My will but 
Thine be done" (Luke xxiii. 43). 

Objections. 
1. God could not become man, for man is a 



142 REVEALED RELIGION. 

creature. — God could assume human nature, but 
He could not be changed into it. 

2. Jesus Christ was perfect man. — Yes, and 
perfect God. 

3. Jesus Christ is the Son of God by adop- 
tion. — Eevelation and history prove Him to be 
the only-begotten Son of the Father. 

4. Did Christ really perform miracles? — 
Certainly. Eead the Gospels. 

5. Why, then, did the Jews put Him to death ? 
— They may have been ignorant of the fact that 
Christ was the Messias. Certainly they were 
jealous of His power and revenged themselves 
for being rebuked by Christ. 

6. Are there any false doctrines regarding the 
personality of Jesus Christ? — There are eight: 
(1) Ebion taught that Christ was but a human 
person. (2) Manes held that Christ had no 
real body. (3) Valentius asserted that Christ 
brought the human body from heaven. (4) . 
Apollinaris maintained that a part of the divinity 
was changed into the human nature of Christ. 
(5) Arius imagined that Christ had no human 

soul. (6) Nestorius declared that in Christ 
there are two persons. (7) Eutyches contended 
that in Christ there is but one compound nature. 
(8) Sergius supposed that there is a divine, but 
no human will in Christ. 

io. The Atonement. 

The atonement is the satisfaction which Jesus 



THE ATONEMENT. 143 

Christ made to God for the sins of the world. When 
there is question of an adequate reparation, the 
satisfaction must not only equal the offence, but 
also be acceptable to the injured person. These 
conditions are perfectly fulfilled by Jesus Christ 
in atoning for the sins of the world. In the 
first place He really made atonement, for "surely 
He hath borne our infirmities and carried our sor- 
rows" (Is. liii. 4). Then His satisfaction was 
acceptable to His heavenly Father; in fact, it was 
performed in obedience to His wish. "He humbled 
Himself," says St. Paul, "becoming obedient unto 
death, even the death of the cross" (Phil. ii. 8). 
Finally, the reparation which Jesus Christ made 
by His suffering and death was superabundant. 
For, as the same Apostle says, "where sin did 
abound, grace did more abound" (Eom. v. 20). 

Jesus Christ alone could make adequate satis- 
faction. Being God, His slightest action had in- 
finite value in the sight of His heavenly Father. 
Being man at the same time, He could suffer and 
atone for the sins of the world, "blotting out 
the handwriting of the decree that was against us, 
which was contrary to us. And He has taken the 
same out of the way, fastening it to the cross" 
(Col. ii. 14). 

Objections. 

1. Was it necessary that Christ should suffer 
for us? — Yes, because God required an adequate 
atonement. 



141 REVEALED RELIGION. 

2. If the slightest act of Christ gave infinite 
satisfaction, why did He suffer all He did? — To 
manifest His love for us and thus win our love. 

3. Why did the heavenly Father punish His 
innocent Son for the sins of the world? — Be- 
cause the Son volunteered to satisfy for the sins 
of the world. "No man taketh My life from Me," 
He said, "but I lay it down of Myself" CJohn x. 
18). 

ii. The Redemption. 

The Redemption is the liberation of mankind 
from the slavery of Satan by the sufferings and 
death of Jesus Christ. St. Peter says, "By whom 
a man is overcome, of the same also is he the 
slave" (2 Peter ii. 9). This general truth has 
particular force when applied to our first parents. 
Adam and Eve were created the children of 
God. As such God gave them the dominion of 
the whole earth (Gen. i. 28) . Hence, "to serve God 
was to reign." By sin, however, the evil spirit 
triumphed over our first parents. In consequence 
they lost not only the dominion over the world, 
but even their liberty as children of God, and 
justly became the slaves of Satan. By His suffer- 
ings and death, however, "Christ hath redeemed 
us from the curse of the law, being made a curse 
for us" (Gal. iii. 13). "He hath delivered us 
from the power of darkness, in whom we have 
redemption through His blood" (Col. i. 13). 
This Our Saviour likewise asserted when He said, 



SANCTIFICATION. 145 

"Now is the judgment of the world. Now shall 
the prince of this world be cast out" (John xii. 
31). Therefore St. Paul tells the Corinthians 
that they "are bought with a great price" (1 
Cor. vi. 20). And St. Peter exhorts the faithful 
to serve God with a loyal heart, "Knowing that 
you were not redeemed with corruptible things, 
as gold or silver, but with the precious blood of 
Christ" (1 Peter i. 18). 

Objections. 

1. Do you mean to say that Adam and Eve 
really became the slaves of Satan? — Certainly. 

2. How did Christ redeem man? — By paying 
the price of His ransom. 

3. Did Christ pay the ransom to Satan? — 
Not to Satan, who unjustly enslaved man, but to 
God, whom man had unjustly deserted. 

4. If Christ paid the ransom, then no man is 
a slave of Satan now. — That does not follow. 
Christ really paid the ransom for all mankind; 
but man must individually be liberated from the 
slavery of Satan, or sanctified by having the 
merits of Christ applied to him, before he is 
really free with "the freedom wherewith Christ 
hath made us free" (Gal. iv. 31). 

12. Sanctification. 

Sanctification is the application of Christ's 
merits to individual souls. It is evident that 
Christ's voluntary suffering and death not only 



146 REVEALED RELIGION. 

had meritorious value, but were actually of in- 
finite value in the sight of God. Jesus Christ was 
God: His smallest meritorious action was divine, 
and hence, infinite in merit. What treasures of 
merit He, therefore, accumulated by His holy 
life ! What greater claims can be made upon God 
than Jesus Christ, the God-Man, made by His 
voluntary sacrifice upon the cross? His merit is 
absolutely infinite. Hence St. Paul could justly 
say, "Christ became, to all that obey Him, the 
cause of eternal salvation" (Hebr. v. 9). 

In repairing the honor of His heavenly Father 
and freeing man from the slavery of Satan, the 
God-Man was free to consult the dictates of His 
all-embracing love. But in applying His infinite 
merits to individual souls, He must respect the 
free will of man. Consequently He does not force 
His graces upon man, but applies them only to 
those who show themselves to be "of good will,* 
by obeying Him. It is particularly in this sense 
that "Jesus Christ, our advocate with the Father, 
is the propitiation for our sins" (1 John ii. 2). 
It is with man's consent and co-operation that 
"the blood of Christ, who by the Holy Ghost of- 
fered Himself unspotted unto God, cleanses our 
conscience from dead works to serve the living 
God" (Hebr. ix. 14). It is thus, and thus alone 
that we are raised again to the supernatural life 
and become the children of God and heirs to the 
kingdom of heaven. It is only when we obey 
Christ in all things that we are really living in 



SANCTIFICATION. 147 

Christ and are being sanctified through His merits. 
Only then will "the Spirit Himself give testimony 
to our spirit, that we are the sons of God. And if 
sons, heirs also; heirs indeed of God, and joint 
heirs with Christ; yet so, if we suffer with Him, 
that we may be also glorified with Him" (Rom. 
viii. 16,17). 

Objections. 

1. Faith suffices unto salvation. — Then why 
did Jesus say, "If thou wilt enter unto life, keep 
the commandments" (Matt. xix. 17). 

2. The merits of Christ are imputed to us. — 
They must be applied if they are to benefit us. 
Millions might be imputed to you, while at the 
same time you should die of starvation. 

3. Man is absolutely depraved. — Thank God, 
there are still many good people in the world, 
who profess and live up to a high standard of 
morality. 

4. What, then, must I do to be entitled to 
salvation through Christ? — 

(1) Pray for the gift of faith. "Ask and 
you shall receive" (John xvi. 24). 

(2) Believe all that Christ has taught. 
"Without faith it is impossible to please 
God" (Hebr. xi. 6). 

(3) Be baptized. "Unless a man be born 
again of water and the Holy Ghost, he 
cannot enter the kingdom of heaven" 
(John iii. 5). 



148 REVEALED RELIGION. 

(4) Prove your love for God by keeping the 
commandments. "If you love Me, keep 
My commandments" (John xiv. 5). 

(5) Hope in God through the merits of 
the Saviour, for He says, "Without Me you 
can do nothing" (John xv. 5). 



13. Death. 

Death separates the soul and body of man and 
terminates his earthly pilgrimage. Perhaps the 
only truth that has never been called in question 
is the truth that man must die. This truth is so 
evident that death is universally admitted to be 
the common lot of mankind. To the person who 
believes in divine revelation the cause of death is 
just as evident. For St. Paul says, "By one man 
sin entered into the world, and by sin death ; and 
so death passed upon all men, in whom all have 
sinned" (Eom. v. 1*2). If God had created man 
for a merely natural end, then death would always 
have been as natural for man as for any other 
creature with organic life. Having created man in 
original justice and holiness, however, God made 
him incorruptible. But the sin of Adam destroyed 
this immunity from sickness and death. It robbed 
him of the special favors of heaven and reduced 
him below the level of a merely natural state. 
This new condition was plainly announced to 
Adam by God Himself, when, judging him for his 
sin, He said, "In the sweat of thy face, shalt thou 



DEATH. 149 

eat thy bread till thou return to the earth, out of 
which thou wast taken; for dust thou art and into 
dust thou shalt return" (Gen. iii. 19). As the 
natural consequence of original sin, "it is there- 
fore, appointed to man once to die" (Hebr. ix. 27) . 
"For God made not death," says the Wise Man, 
"neither hath He pleasure in the destruction of 
the living" (Wis. i. 13). 

The physical result of death is that "the dust 
returns into the earth whence it was taken and the 
spirit returns to God who gave it" (Eccl. xii. 7). 
The moral effect of death is likewise twofold : ( 1 ) 
it puts an end to man's probation which is called 
life; (2) it ushers him before the judgment-seat 
of God. 

The probation of man is positively limited by 
God to his earthly existence. "For it is easy be- 
fore God in the day of death to reward every one 
according to his ways" (Eccl. xi. 28). The time 
of merit will then be past. For "if the tree fall to 
the south, or to the north, in what place soever it 
shall fall, there shall it be" (Eccl. xi. 3). Hence 
the Saviour says, "The night cometh when no man 
can work" (John ix. 4). "Be ye, then, also 
ready; for at what hour you think not the Son 
of man will come" (Luke xii. 40). 

Objections. 

1. Death is the common debt to nature. — 
Eather, to nature corrupted by sin. 



150 REVEALED RELIGION. 

2. Death does not end the period of proba- 
tion. — Your assertion is opposed to revelation. 

3. Probation will continue throughout eter- 
ni ty . — Xonsense. 

4. For death does not rob man of his free 
will. — It confirms him in grace or in sin. 

5. Why, then, is the time of death uncertain? 
— In His mercy, God conceals the time of death 
to protect man against presumption on the one 
hand and despair on the other, to inspire him 
with sorrow for past sins and to spur him on in 
good work. 

14. The Particular Judgment. 

The particular judgment is the judgment which 
every soul undergoes at the moment of death and 
in which its future condition is justly determined 
by God according to its merits. As soon as a la- 
borer has done his work, he is judged "worthy of 
his hire" (Luke x. 7). As soon as a criminal is 
convicted, his sentence is pronounced. These sim- 
ple truths are accepted by God and man. God 
acted according to these principles of justice when 
treating with the angels after their probation. The 
good were immediately rewarded, while the rebel- 
lious ones were instantly punished. Thus also, 
says reason and revelation, will God do to man 
individually as soon as his probation is ended. 
Indeed, death is God's messenger summoning man 
to judgment. Hence St. Paul simply says, "It 
is appointed unto man once to die, and after this, 



THE PARTICULAR JUDGMENT. 151 

the judgment" (Hebr. ix. 27). It was thus, as the 
Saviour tells us in the parable, that justice was 
meted out to the rich man and poor Lazarus (Luke 
xvi.). Hence the author of Ecclesiasticus rightly 
warns man, saying: "In the day of good things 
be not unmindful of evils ; and in the day of evils 
be not unmindful of good things. For it is easy 
before God in the day of death to reward every 
one according to his ways. The affliction of an 
hour maketh one forget great delights, and in the 
end of a man is the disclosing of his works" (Eccl. < 
xi. 27-29). 

As soon as the soul leaves the body, therefore, 
it appears before the judgment-seat of God. The 
eternal light of God then enables that soul to see 
its entire moral life in all its shades and circum- 
stances. In the same instant, the judgment of 
"the just Judge of the living and the dead" is 
pronounced and executed. Whether heaven, hell 
or purgatory be the verdict, the soul equally un- 
derstands and accepts the complete justice of the 
sentence, and hastens to submit to its execution. 

Objections. 

1. The soul is not judged till the end of the 
world. — There is no certainty for this statement. 

2. Why does God judge man twice? — First 
to determine man's lot; secondly to vindicate 
His providence. 

3. Who is this Judge?— The God-Man, Jesus 
Christ. 



152 REVEALED RELIGION. 

4. Why does Christ and not the Blessed Trin- 
ity judge man? — Because Christ ransomed man 
by His death on the cross. In consequence of 
this, man can come to the Father only through 
Christ, who has acquired every claim upon him. 

15. Purgatory. 

Purgatory is the temporary state and condition 
to which those holy souls are sentenced after death 
who leave this world without having fully satis- 
fled the justice of God for the temporal punish- 
ment due to their sins. This place is called pur- 
gatory, from the Latin word "purgare," which 
means to purify. The doctrine of a middle place 
in the next world is so reasonable that even Plato 
and other heathen philosophers of ancient times 
presumed it. "After this life of probation is end- 
ed," says Plato, "the very bad go to hell, the very 
good are admitted to heaven, while those who are 
moderately good and bad will be purified by tem- 
poral suffering and finally admitted to heaven" 
(De Anima). 

This doctrine of reason is confirmed by revela- 
tion. Revelation tells us that, though God is holi- 
ness itself and can admit nothing defiled into 
heaven (Apoc. xxi. 2T), He has, however, discov- 
ered a way to purify man from the remains of 
sin after death. Indeed, if "the just man falleth 
seven times a day," who can honestly claim to be 
worthy of immediate admission to heaven? Is it 
not true that practically speaking this doctrine of 



PURGATORY. 153 

purgatory is as consoling as it is reasonable? In 
fact, Judas Machabeus gave expression not only to 
the belief of his day, but of human nature in gen- 
eral, when he declared that "it is a holy and 
wholesome thought to pray for the dead, that they 
may be loosed from their sins" (2 Mach. xii. 16). 

The existence of purgatory is taught by St. Paul 
in his Epistle to the Corinthians, when he says: 
"Other foundation no man can lay, but that which 
is laid; which is Christ Jesus. Now if any man 
build upon this foundation, gold, silver, precious 
stones, wood, hay, stubble; every man's work shall 
be manifest; for the day of the Lord shall declare 
it, because it shall be revealed by fire ; and the fire 
shall try every man's work, of what sort it is. If 
any man's work abide, which he hath built there- 
upon, he shall receive a reward. If any man's work 
burn, he shall suffer loss; but he himself shall 
be saved, yet so as by fire" (1 Cor. iii. 11-15). St. 
Ambrose, commenting on these words, remarks: 
"When St. Paul says 'yet so as by fire' he shows 
that after death some will be saved, but will have 
to suffer the punishment of fire so that, purified 
by fire, they may be safe and not tortured forever 
like the reprobates in the fire of hell." 

The Saviour Himself frequently referred to this 
purification after death. Thus, for example, He 
says that "a sin against the Holy Ghost will not 
be forgiven in this world, nor in the world to 
come" (Matt. xii. 32). Again, He exhorts us to 
be delivered from our adversary before we appear 



154 REVEALED RELIGION. 

before the Judge and be "cast into prison. For," 
He adds, "I say to thee thou shalt not go out 
thence, until thou pay the very last mite" (Luke 
xii. 58). Therefore He says, "Make unto you 
friends of the mammon of iniquity ; that when you 
shall fail, they may receive you into everlasting 
dwellings" (Luke xvi. 9). 

Revelation is not as explicit about the nature 
of the pains of purgatory as about the punishments 
of hell. Still, it is universally believed that the 
nature of both torments is much the same. There 
is this essential distinction, however, that the 
purifying torments of purgatory are temporary 
and less intense than the punishment of the repro- 
bates in hell. 

Objections. 

1. There is no change in eternity, hence no 
purgatory. — Eternity is a quality of heaven and 
hell, not a measure of time. 

2. We cannot help the souls in purgatory. — 
Why not? Do you believe in the communion 
of saints? 

1 6. The Resurrection. 

The resurrection is the restoration of the human 
body, destroyed by death, and the union of the 
same with the soul that quickened it upon earth. 
Our Saviour Himself tells us that the resurrection 
of the dead will take place immediately before the 
general judgment (John v. 29). Though it is a 



TEE RESURRECTION. 155 

supernatural work of God, the resurrection of the 
dead is so in harmony with the economies of Ee- 
demption and grace, and the longings of human 
nature, that the mind of man readily accepts it 
as soon as it is known as revealed by God. Though 
reason cannot prove the resurrection to be a ne- 
cessity, it can show its propriety in the order of 
things. For, according to the original plan of 
God's work, the soul was created for constant 
union with the body. In spite of the ravages of 
sin, this tendency still continues. Then, the body 
shares in the good and the evil deeds of life ; why 
should it not share in their reward or punish- 
ment? In fact, so intimately did the Jews of old 
associate the immortality of the soul with the 
resurrection of the body, that they actually looked 
upon them as one and the same thing (Matt. xxii. 
30). Besides being supported by the testimony of 
divine tradition, the doctrine of the resurrection 
is repeatedly taught in Holy Scripture. In fact, 
St. Paul emphasizes it as a fundamental doctrine 
of Christianity. "If there be no resurrection of 
the dead," he emphatically asserts, "then Christ 
is not risen again. And if Christ be not risen 
again, then is our preaching vain, and your faith 
is also vain" (1 Cor. xv. 13). Then he proceeded 
to show the Corinthians that "as by one man death 
came into the world, so also by one man the resur- 
rection of the dead" (xv. 21). He concludes his 
remarks saying, "When this mortal hath put on 
immortality, then shall come to pass the saying 



156 REVEALED RELIGION. 

that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory" 
(xv. 55). 

Objections. 

1. The soul rises to a spiritual life through 
Christ. — So, also, will the body rise "in incorrup- 
tion" (1 Cor. xv. 53). 

2. Will man have a new body after the resur- 
rection? — He will have his identical body. 

3. Will all bodies look alike after the resur- 
rection? — No. The bodies of the elect will be 
impassible, refulgent as the sun, agile as angels, 
and subtle as spirits. But the bodies of the repro- 
bate will rise to suffer; will be hideous as sin, 
burdened with guilt and crushed with remorse. 

17. The General Judgment. 

The general judgment is the judgment of all 
angels and men which will take place at the end 
of the world. The object of this general judg- 
ment will be (1) to vindicate God's providence 
and justice; (2) to glorify Jesus Christ; (3) to 
honor His saints and overwhelm the reprobate 
with public confusion. 

When the time specified in the eternal decrees 
of the Almighty arrives, this world will come to 
an end. The stars will fall from heaven. The sun 
will refuse to give light. The earth will be puri- 
fied by fire. The angel's trumpet will resound. 
The dead will return to life. The sign of Re- 
demption will appear in the heavens. The Son 



THE GENERAL JUDGMENT. 157 

of man will come in great power and majesty to 
judge the living and the dead. The elect will be 
borne aloft to meet their Saviour and their God. 
The wicked will be cast down with exceeding great 
fear. These and many other details are distinctly 
foretold in Sacred Scripture. 

Then will the angels go forth to separate the 
good from the bad. The elect are gathered to the 
right, the reprobate to the left of the Judge. The 
book of conscience is then opened before the world. 
Every thought that ever entered the mind, every 
desire that was ever cherished by the heart, every 
word that was ever spoken, every action that was 
ever performed or neglected by God's creatures is 
now manifested before the entire world, with every 
detail of reason and faith, with the strength of 
will and of grace and the circumstances of ignor- 
ance, passion, malice, and human respect. 

Then will the eternal goodness of God appear. 
Then will His holiness and justice be vindicated. 
Then will the meek and lowly Saviour stand forth 
in His true glory. Then will the humility of the 
elect be crowned with glory. Then will the 
reprobate be overwhelmed with confusion. Then 
will the just Judge of the living and the dead turn 
to the elect and say with great love and con- 
descension, "Come, ye blessed of My Father, pos- 
sess you the kingdom prepared for you from the 
foundation of the world" (Matt. xxv. 34). Turn- 
ing with stern indignation to the reprobate, He 
will conclude the judgment, saying, "Depart from 



15 8 REVEALED RELIGION. 

Me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire which was pre- 
pared for the devil and his angels" (xxv. 41). 

Objections. 

1. When will the end of the world come? — 
God alone knows this, as Our Saviour tells us. 

2. Where will the general judgment be held? 
— In the valley of Josaphat (Joel iii.). 

3. Will the angels be judged?— Certainly. 

4. Will the sins that have been forgiven be 
manifested? — Yes, for the glory of God, but not 
to the confusion of the repentant. 

5. Will there be any assistant judges?— Yes, 
the Apostles and all others who have triumphed 
over the flesh, the world, and the devil, during 
life. 



B. DIVINELY OEDAINED PEACTICE. 
I. The Patriarchal or Family Eeligion. 

i. The Primitive Revelation. 

A primitive revelation was made by God to our 
first parents. God Himself instructed them about 
their origin and supernatural destiny. He told 
them what they must believe, what they must do, 
and what means they must employ to reach heaven. 
When they ate of the forbidden fruit, God gave 
them hope of pardon and promised them a Ee- 
deemer. He promulgated positive laws regulating 
man's conduct towards his Creator, his neighbor 
and himself. This primitive revelation was never 
committed to writing. The fact, however, that it 
was given is clearly indicated in the first chapter 
of Genesis. Even without this testimony, common 
sense would suppose it. For, if God does all He 
can to bring man to life everlasting, He certainly 
revealed to him his origin and destiny, which is 
only directing man regarding the designs of 
creation. 

2. Positive Laws. 

In the primitive revelation God gave man posi- 
tive laws. The word "positive" is used in dis- 
tinction to "natural" law, or that sense of right and 
wrong which God has engraven on every human 
159 



160 REVEALED RELIGION. 

heart. In Genesis at least one positive law- 
given by God to Adam is recorded. This is an 
injunction not to eat of the tree of knowledge of 
good and evil (Gen. ii. 17). But little is recorded 
in the Bible of the laws which God gave to Adam 
after sin came into the world. Still, tradition 
tells us that in the beginning God gave man posi- 
tive laws regarding matrimony, the sanctification 
of the Sabbath, the offering of sacrifices, as well 
as other subjects pertaining to practical morality 
and religion. 

3. The Practice of Religion in Patriarchal 
Times. 

During the patriarchal period the debt of relig- 
ion was at all times paid to God in a way ac- 
ceptable to Him. For, though many of the people 
gradually fell into idolatry, others ever remained 
true to God. And even among those who left His 
service a purer form of Religion prevailed than 
among later heathen nations. "Students of an- 
tiquity/' says Father Coppens, S.J., "have dis- 
covered in the earliest writings and traditions of 
various peoples a much purer Religion than that 
which was practised in the classic ages of Greece 
and Rome. They have thus strikingly refuted 
the theory of the evolutionists which pretends that 
Religion was evolved from the grossest fetichism 
by gradual improvements to the gradual recog- 
nition of one only God." 

In what did the Religion of the patriarchs con- 



PRIMITIVE REVELATION. 161 

sist? The patriarchs believed in one God, — the 
Creator of the world, the rewarder of the good, 
and the punisher of the wicked. They hoped for 
salvation through the merits of the Saviour to 
come. They believed in the resurrection of the 
body (Job xix. 25). They showed their love for 
God by keeping the positive laws which He had 
promulgated. They did penance for their sins. 
They prayed to God for light and strength to 
walk in the way of His commandments. They 
offered acceptable sacrifices to God. In the be- 
ginning they seem to have been free in the choice 
of their victim of sacrifice. Usually the head of 
the family was at the same time the priest of the 
Most High. Melchisedech is the only exception 
to this rule recorded in the Bible. Scripture men- 
tions the reason why he offered a sacrifice for 
Abraham, who was himself a priest and a king, 
when it says, "He was the priest of the most high 
God" (Gen. xiv. 18). 

4. Transmission of the Primitive Revelation. 

The primitive revelation which God made to 
our first parents was transmitted to subsequent 
generations by tradition alone. The longevity of 
mankind in that age greatly facilitated the hand- 
ing down of revelation by word of mouth and safe- 
guarded its integrity. Adam, for example, lived 
930 years. Eight hundred years Adam lived with 
his son Seth, 695 years with his grandson Enos, 
605 with his great-grandson Cainan, 535 years 



162 REVEALED RELIGION. 

with Malaleel, the son of Cainan, 470 with Jared, 
the grandson of Cainan, 308 years with Henoch, 
the great-grandson of Cainan, 243 with Mathu- 
sala, the son of Henoch, 56 years with Lamech, 
the grandson of Henoch and father of Noe. It 
would be a moral impossibility not to become 
acquainted with the important events in the lives 
of one's ancestors under such circumstances. 

5. Noe. 

As far as we can positively learn from Sacred 
Scripture, Noe was the first to receive a new mes- 
sage from God to mankind. Noe lived 595 years 
with his father, and 600 years with his grand- 
father, Mathusala. Shortly after their death, Noe 
was commissioned by God to build an ark to save 
himself and family from the coming destruction 
by the Deluge. After the waters of the Deluge 
had subsided, Noe, "who was a just and perfect 
man" (Gen. vi. 9), made a new covenant with God, 
and transmitted the primitive revelation in all its 
purity to his descendants. To his sons he fore- 
told the future and prophesied that the Saviour 
of the world would be born of the family of Sem 
(Gen. ix. 27). He lived 350 years after the Deluge. 
His declining years were saddened by witnessing 
many of his descendants fall into idolatry. 

6. Abraham. 

About the time that Noe died, God spoke to 
Abraham, who had recently moved to Haran from 
Ur of the Chaldees with his father and nephew, 



TEE PATRIARCES. 163 

and said to him: "Go forth out of thy country, 
and from thy kindred, and out of thy father's 
house, and come into the land which I shall show 
thee. And I will make of thee a great nation, and 
I will bless thee, and magnify thy name, and thou 
shalt be blessed. I will bless them that bless thee, 
and curse them that curse thee, and in thee shall all 
the kindred of the earth be blessed" ( Gen. xii. 1-3 ) . 
God put the faith of Abraham to the severest 
test by commanding him to sacrifice to Him his 
son Isaac, whom he had begotten in his old age. 
When Abraham showed his readiness to make any 
sacrifice however great, God confirmed him as 
the father of that chosen people from which the 
Saviour was to be born. The promises thus made 
to Abraham God renewed to Isaac, his son, and 
Jacob, his grandson. Jacob had twelve sons. The 
elder ones being envious of Joseph, their younger 
brother, sold him into slavery. By divine provi- 
dence, however, Joseph became ruler over Egypt 
and brought all his relatives into that land. Before 
Jacob died, he prophesied that the blessing be- 
stowed upon Abraham would descend on the fam- 
ily of his son Juda, saying : "The sceptre shall not 
be taken away from Juda, nor a ruler from his 
thigh, till He come that is to be sent, and He shall 
be the expectation of nations" (Gen. xlix. 10). 

7. Melchisedech, 

Melchisedech was king of Salem and "the priest 
of the most high God" (Gen. xiv. 18). Father 



164 REVEALED RELIGION. 

Gigot says in his "Outlines of Jewish History," 
"Few things found in the biblical records have 
appeared more strange and incredible than Abra- 
ham's relations with Melchisedech." Recent ex- 
cavations on the Nile, he goes on to tell us, have 
brought to light cruciform tablets containing dis- 
patches sent to the king of Egypt by the king of 
Salem about the time of the patriarchs. Accord- 
ing to those records, the king of Salem was direct- 
ly chosen by God. As a divinely appointed ruler, 
Melchisedech was naturally at the same time the 
priest of the most high God. As such he offered a 
sacrifice of bread and wine in thanksgiving for the 
victory of Abraham. Nothing further is known of 
the revelations which Melchisedech received. 
8. Holy Job. 
Among the individuals to whom God made 
revelations during patriarchal times, holy Job 
deserves particular mention. It is uncertain when 
Job lived. It is equally uncertain to what nation 
he belonged. He is usually regarded as identical 
with Jobab, king of Edom, a descendant of Esau, 
mentioned in Genesis (xxxvi. 33). His life, trials, 
and divine consolations are recorded in the book 
which bears his name. It is uncertain who is the 
author of this book. Some attribute it to Job 
himself, others to Moses, and others again to one 
of the prophets. Be that as it may, the life of 
holy Job is an illustration of the words of St. Paul 
to the Lycaonians, "In times past, God left not 
Himself without testimony" (Acts xiv. 16). 



MOSES. 165 

II. The Mosaic or State Keligion". 
i. Moses. 

Moses was an Israelite of the tribe of Levi. 
His brother's name was Aaron and his sister's 
name Mary. When an infant, Moses was rescued 
from the waters of the Nile by the daughter of 
Pharao. She adopted him as her child, but en- 
trusted him to his own mother to be brought up. 
Thus Moses learned the traditions of his people 
from his mother, and "was instructed in all the 
wisdom of the Egyptians" (Acts vii. 22). About 
165 years after the death of Joseph, God commis- 
sioned Moses to deliver the Israelites from the 
slavery of the Egyptians and lead them back to 
the land which He had given to their forefather 
Abraham. He bestowed upon Moses the power 
of miracles and associated with him his brother 
Aaron as his spokesman, because Moses was slow 
of speech. The miracles of the one and the 
preaching of the other soon convinced the people 
that "God had visited the children of Israel and 
had looked upon their affliction." When the 
Egyptians persisted in their opposition to the de- 
signs of the Almighty, God through the ministry 
of Moses and Aaron inflicted upon them various 
scourges, known as the Plagues of Egypt. Finally 
the Egyptians pressed the Israelites to depart (Ex. 



166 REVEALED RELIGION. 

xii. 33). About 600,000 men, besides women and 
children, set out. They were overtaken at the Red 
Sea, however, by the Egyptians, who, having re- 
covered from their panic, sought to capture the 
Israelites and reduce them again to slavery. At 
the word of Moses the waters of the sea parted 
long enough to permit the Israelites to pass 
through dry-shod. The returning waters swal- 
lowed up the pursuing army of the Egyptians. 
Then Moses led his people to Mount Sinai, where 
the Xew Law was promulgated. After many trials 
recorded in the Bible, Moses eventually came in 
sight of the Promised Land. This, however, he 
was not permitted to enter. Having, by divine 
command, proclaimed Josue his successor, and ex- 
horted the people to fidelity to God, Moses as- 
cended Mount Xebo, where he died. 

2. The Law of Moses. 

The aim of Moses as God's representative was 
to elevate hordes of liberated slaves into "a priest- 
ly kingdom and a holy nation" (Ex. xix. 6). As 
the foundation of this commonwealth he adopted 
a theocratic constitution. For Jehovah was to be 
not only the God, but also the King of Israel. 
Hence a theocratic character was impressed on 
the entire civil, moral, and ceremonial law of 
Moses. The cardinal principle on which the civil 
and the criminal code rested was the compact be- 



THE LAW OF MOSES. 167 

tween theentirenationandits God. The legislative, 
executive, and judicial powers of the actual rulers 
were all subordinated to this agreement. Moses 
retained the ancient organization of the people 
into tribes, families, and houses under their re- 
spective heads (Jos. vii. 14), and was not averse 
to a monarchical form of government (Deut. 
xvii. 14). 

The observance of the ceremonial law of Moses 
was under the supervision of the divinely appoint- 
ed national clergy. This law prescribed minutely 
(1) what sacrifices were to be offered; (2) by 
whom they were to be offered; (3) where they 
were to be offered; (4) the time when they 
were to be offered; and (5) the manner in which 
they were to be offered. Finally (6) it placed 
many safeguards for the preservation of purity. 

The moral code of Israel was summed up in the 
Decalogue, or ten commandments (Exod. xx.) as 
we have them to-day. Being rather a crystalliza- 
tion of the natural law than a new positive law, 
this moral code is naturally of perpetual obliga- 
tion. The civil and ceremonial law, however, was 
to hold only till the advent of Christ. This tem- 
porary condition of affairs Moses impressed upon 
Israel before his death, saying: "The Lord thy 
God will raise up to thee a Prophet of thy nation 
and of thy brethren like unto me; Him thou shalt 
hear." (Deut. xviii. 15). 



168 REVEALED RELIGION. 

3. The Tabernacle and the Temple. 

During the sojourn of the Israelites in the 
desert and the conquest of the Holy Land, the 
tabernacle was the center of the public worship 
which God had established through Moses. This 
temporary place of worship was subsequently suc- 
ceeded by the permanent Temple of Solomon in 
Jerusalem. Both consisted of an outer court and 
an inner sanctuary. The outer court contained 
the Altar of Holocausts. The sanctuary was 
divided by a curtain into the Holy Place and the 
Holy of holies. The Holy Place contained (1) 
the sacred utensils, (2) the table with the pro- 
pitiatory loaves, (3) the golden candlestick with 
seven branches, and (4) the altar of incense. The 
Holy of holies contained only the Ark of the Cov- 
enant. The tabernacle was a portable tent, but 
the Temple was built of solid stone. It was one 
of the largest, most beautiful and most imposing 
buildings of ancient or modern times. 

4. The Ark of the Covenant. 

The Ark of the Covenant was the most sacred 
and mysterious thing in the tabernacle and Tem- 
ple. It was a wooden chest, three feet nine inches 
in length by two feet three inches in width and 
height, covered with the purest gold and artisti- 
cally decorated. It contained the two stone tab- 
lets on which the Decalogue was written, a golden 



THE JEWISH PRIESTHOOD. 169 

vase filled with manna, and the staff of Aaron, the 
first high priest. The Almighty abode in the Ark 
in a particular manner, and often spoke from it 
to Moses and, later on, to the high priests (Exod. 
xxv. 22). The place from which the voice of 
God emanated was a golden plate on top of the 
Ark, which was called the Propitiatory, or Seat 
of Mercy. An adoring angel was represented on 
either side of the Propitiatory. The Ark of the 
Covenant played an important part in the history 
of God's chosen people, as is recorded in the Bible. 
At the time of the Babylonian captivity, the Ark 
of the Covenant is said to have been concealed by 
the prophet Jeremias. It was never recovered 
after the captivity, when Jerusalem and the Tem- 
ple were rebuilt. 

5. The Jewish Priesthood. 

The Jewish priesthood was directly instituted 
by almighty God. He chose for this service all 
the men of the tribe of Levi. They were divided 
into three orders: high priest, priests, and assist- 
ants, and were consecrated according to the direc- 
tion of the Lord Himself. Aaron was the first 
high priest. His descendants alone could be law- 
fully ordained priests of God. The office of high 
priest was inherited by Eleazar and restricted to 
his family. The other male descendants of the 
tribe of Levi were merely the assistants of the 
priests. They retained the distinctive name of 
Levites. These entered the service of the Temple 



170 REVEALED RELIGION. 

at the age of thirty, assisted the priests at the 
sacrifice and cared for the Temple. The priests 

(1) kept the fire ever burning on the Altar of 
Holocausts, (2) took care of the golden candle- 
stick and its lights, (3) offered the morning and 
the evening sacrifices, as well as (4) the various 
other sacrifices, and (5) renewed the loaves of 
proposition every week. The priests, moreover, 
acted as judges, teachers, and interpreters of the 
law. They possessed no real estate, but received 
dues of various kinds for their maintenance. The 
high priest had the exclusive right (1) of presid- 
ing over the Court of Judgment (Deut. xvii. 9) ; 

(2) of consulting the divine oracle (Numb, xxvii. 
21) ; (3) of officiating on the great Day of Atone- 
ment; and (4) of entering the Holy of holies on 
that day. 

6. The Mosaic Sacrifices. 

The sacrifices of the Mosaic (form of) Religion 
may be divided into two classes, bloody and un- 
bloody. By their bloody sacrifices the Israelites 
acknowledged the supreme power of God over life 
and death. By the unbloody sacrifices they wor- 
shiped Him as the bestower of the land and its 
produce. The bloody sacrifices were of three 
kinds, viz., Holocausts, Expiatory and Pacific of- 
ferings. The Holocaust was the sacrifice of adora- 
tion, and was entirely consumed by fire. The Ex- 
piatory sacrifice was offered as an atonement for 
sin. Onlv the fat of this offering was consumed by 



MOSAIC PRACTICAL RELIGION. 171 

fire ; the remainder belonged to the priests. The 
Pacific sacrifice was offered in gratitude for favors 
received. It was followed by a sacnficial meal of 
which those partook for whom the sacrifice was 
offered. 

The unbloody sacrifices were likewise of three 
kinds, viz., Incense, First-fruits and Tithes, and 
meat and drink offerings. The sacrifice of Incense 
accompanied every bloody sacrifice. It was, be- 
sides, offered every morning and evening on the 
golden altar in the Holy Place. The sacrifice of 
Incense was pre-eminently the sacrifice of suppli- 
cation. The first-fruits and tithes were offered 
either in their natural state or already prepared 
for use. The meat and drink offerings consisted 
chiefly of sacrifices of bread and wine. 

7. Practical Religion in the Mosaic Dispensation. 

There was no important increase in the deposit 
of faith during the Mosaic dispensation. The 
truths known in patriarchal days, however, were 
frequently brought home to the people. This was 
especially true of the unity, perfection, and provi- 
dence of God, the immortality of the soul, and the 
resurrection of the body (Dan. xii. 1-3; Ezech. 
xxxvii.), and the existence and influence of good 
and bad angels. The hope in the Saviour to come 
prompted the people to assemble regularly in the 
Temple and the synagogues to hear the word of 
God and sing His praises. After the excitement 



172 REVEALED RELIGION. 

of the war of conquest had subsided, the faithful 
gradually adopted the pious practice of lifting up 
their minds and hearts in prayer to God at the 
time of the morning and evening sacrifices. Later 
on they became accustomed to repeat this action 
also at the hour of noon (Dan. vi. 10). They kept 
holy the Sabbath day. Those who lived far from 
Jerusalem visited the Temple at least three times 
in the year. They devoted one-tenth of their in- 
come to Religion and often made other offerings 
in fulfilment of vows or as their piety suggested. 
If the people of Israel transgressed the moral law 
in a serious matter and repented of the same, they 
confessed their sins and offered the sacrifice of 
atonement prescribed by Moses (Levit. v., vi., vii., 
xxvi. 39; Prov. xxviii. 13; Eccli. iv. 31). 

8. Mosaic Holidays. 

The Sabbath was pre-eminently the day of rest 
among God's people of old (Exod. xx. 8). It 
was sanctified by (1) doubling the morning and 
evening sacrifices (Num. xxviii. 3) ; (2) by the 
renewal of t«he loaves of proposition (Levit. xxiv. 
6) ; and (3) by some religious meeting for the 
people. Besides the Sabbath, God prescribed the 
sanctification of many other days, viz., (1) Neo- 
menia, or the monthly Feast of the New Moon 
(Numb. x. 10) ; (2) the Pasch, lasting one whole 
week, to commemorate the delivery from the bond- 
age of Egypt; (3) Pentecost, to commemorate the 
covenant made with God on Mount Sinai; (4) the 



THE PROPHETS. 173 

Feast of Expiation, or Atonement, on the tenth 
day of the seventh month; (5) Schenopegia, or the 
Feast of the Tabernacles, a week's prayer beginning 
on the fifteenth of the seventh month; (6) the 
Sabbatical and the Jubilee years, during which the 
fields were to remain fallow, the fruits were shared 
in common, old debts were cancelled, and slaves 
were set free. 

9. The Prophets. 

The prophets were the extraordinary teachers 
of Israel. They were not only men of high moral 
worth, but were also favored with direct inter- 
course with God and often endowed with the gift 
of .miracles. They received the divine communi- 
cations respecting the future either (1) by a 
vision, (2) in dreams, (3) by the apparition of an 
angel, or (4) through a human voice. It was the 
particular commission of the prophets to defend 
the purity of faith and the practice of Eeligion 
against idolatry on the one hand, and mere for- 
malism on the other. Their greatest enemies were 
the kings and princes. These often went to such 
extremes in their opposition to the prophets as to 
put them to death. Not all the prophets were in- 
spired to record their teachings and predictions. 
Nathan, Elias, and Eliseus, for example, did not 
commit their prophetic utterances to writing. But 
those whose prophecies are recorded gave their con- 
temporaries a clear insight not only into the future 



174 REVEALED RELIGION . 

in general, but particularly into the life and king- 
dom of the expected Messias. 

Besides the prophecies of King David, the writ- 
ings of seventeen prophets have come down to us. 
Four of these are called major prophets, because 
they wrote much. They are Isaias, Jeremias (in- 
cluding Baruch), Ezechiel, and Daniel. The twelve 
others are called minor prophets, because their 
writings are of a more restricted nature. 

10. The Sanhedrim. 

The Sanhedrim was the supreme tribunal of 
Israel. Its origin, says Father Gigot, is uncertain. 
It was composed of seventy members, viz., chief 
priests, elders, and scribes, presided over by the 
high priest. Some ascribe its origin to the days 
of Moses, when God commanded him to select 
seventy '"ancients and masters of the people" to 
share with him the burdens of the government 
(Xumb. xi.). Others, however, fix the date of its 
origin in a more recent period, when a rupture 
occurred between Judas Machabeus and the elders, 
who had governed the country for some time. 
When the elders ceased as a ruling power they 
were transformed into an ecclesiastical tribunal 
called "the Sanhedrim." 

ii. Jewish Sects and Factions. 

Two Jewish sects took an important part in 
shaping the political and religious history during 
the last century of their national independence. 



JEWISH SECTS. 175 

These were the Pharisees and the Sadducees. 
They were the gradual outgrowth of a political, 
intellectual, and social movement for and against 
foreign influence. The Pharisees endeavored to 
isolate the Jews from the outside world. They 
insisted on more than the letter of the law. But 
they kept alive the Jewish belief in (1) the Mes- 
sias, (2) the immortality of the soul, (3) divine 
providence, and (4) an oral tradition at least equal 
in authority to the written law. The Sadducees 
opposed the Pharisees in everything. They were 
rich, influential and worldly-minded. Their be- 
lief was negative rather than positive. They par- 
ticularly denied the existence of angels and the 
immortality of the soul. The Samaritans are a 
sect that originated shortly after Israel was di- 
vided, in the time of King Eehoboam. They took 
their name from Samaria, the new capital of the 
kingdom. During the Assyrian captivity a heathen 
element was introduced into their religious 
worship. They erected a temple on Mount Geri- 
zim, in opposition to that of Jerusalem. Though 
the Samaritans believed the same as the Jews, 
they were their bitter enemies. 

Besides these, Josephus mentions the Essenes, 
who differed from the Pharisees more in the rigor 
of their practice than in the articles of their be- 
lief. To safeguard the purity of the soul, which 
was their main object, the Essenes lived mostly in 
colonies as far as possible remote from the larger 
towns. 



176 REVEALED RELIGION. 



III. The Christian, or Catholic, Religion. 

i. "What Think You of Christ?" 

Matt. xxii. 42. 

Jesus Christ is the Son of God, the Second Per- 
son in the Blessed Trinity, true God and true man. 
The most important personage in the entire his- 
tory of the world is undoubtedly Jesus Christ. It 
is but natural, therefore, that man should desire 
to know some particulars about Him. The Evan- 
gelists depict Jesus Christ as that descendant of 
King David in whom all the prophecies regarding 
the Messias were fulfilled. His contemporaries, 
though unanimously admitting His human nature 
and the sanctity of His life, were at first divided 
regarding His personality and mission. Some re- 
garded Him merely as a great prophet, others 
maintained with Simon Peter that He is "the Son 
of the living God" (Matt. xvi. 16), while those 
who were not "of good will" persecuted Him to 
death. 

Jesus Christ claimed for Himself that He is the 
Son of God, the Second Person of the Blessed 
Trinity, true God and true man. He claimed to 
be the Messias, come to teach man the way to 
heaven. He made corresponding demands on His 
fellow men. He asked an unbounded faith in His 



"WHAT THINK YOU OF CHRIST?" 177 

word and an efficacious good will in observing Hi9 
commands. "By signs and wonders" He had 
heaven to testify to the truth of His teaching and 
the genuineness of His mission. 

When the Pharisees asked Him for a clear proof 
of His divinity, He referred them to His glorious 
Eesurrection on the third day after His death. 
Having brought Him to the death of the cross, they 
guarded His grave till the third day. When, lo ! 
the Conqueror of sin and death came forth from 
the prison of the grave, the guards of His sepul- 
cher became the witnesses of His Eesurrection. 
When these were bribed to retract their testimony, 
many former inhabitants of Jerusalem, whose 
bodies had long been mouldering in the grave, ap- 
peared to testify in His behalf. Having spent 
forty more days on earth, history tells us that Jesus 
Christ ascended publicly into heaven. Every 
honest soul must, therefore, confess with the cen- 
turion on Calvary, "Indeed this man was the Son 
of God" (Matt. xv. 39). 

Objections. 

1. Jesus Christ is the highest type of human- 
ity, but not God. — Jesus based all His claims on 
the divinity of His nature and mission. Deprive 
Him of this, and He stands before the world, 
not as the most perfect man, but as the greatest 
impostor of all times. 

2. I admit that Jesus Christ was the adopted 
Son of God.— St. John (i. 14; iii. 16; 1 iv. 9, 



178 REVEALED RELIGION. 

v. 20) and St. Paul (Eom. viii. 32; Gal. iv. 4) call 
Him not only the adopted, but the real Son, "the 
Only begotten of the Father." 

2. Christ as Spoken of by the Prophets. 

Centuries before the birth of Jesus Christ, the 
prophets foretold among other things that He 
would be the Son of God (Ps. ii. 7), the seed of 
a woman (Gen. iii. 15), a descendant of Sem, 
Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Juda, and David (Gen. 
ix. 27; xii. 3; xxii. 8; xxvi. 4; xlix. 10; Numb. 
xxiv. 17; 2 Par. xvii. 13). They indicated the 
exact time (Gen. xlix. 10; Dan. ix. 24; Agg. ii. 8) 
and place of His birth (Mich. v. 2). They said 
that His Mother would be a virgin (Is. vii. 14) ; 
that He would be adored by the Magi (Ps. Ixxi. 
10) ; that the infants of Bethlehem would shed 
their blood for His sake (Jer. xxxi. 15) ; and 
that He would flee to Egypt but return again 
(Os. xi. 1). 

They called Him the Orient (Zach. vi. 12) ; the 
Son of man (Dan. vii. 13) ; the Saviour (Is. Iii. 
12) ; the Emanuel (Is. viii. 8) ; and the Prince 
of peace (Is. ix. vi.). 

The prophets declared that Jesus Christ would 
live in Xazareth (Matt. ii. 23), but later remove 
to Capharnaum (Is. ix. 1) ; that He would preach 
salvation to the poor (Is. lxi. 1) and perform 
many miracles (Is. xxxv. 5) ; that He would 
be meek (Is. xlii. 1) ; speak in parables (Is. 



CHRIST'S WORKS. 179 

vi. 9) ; and would be thwarted by the hypocrisy 
of the Jews (Is. xxix. 13). 

They described His triumphal entry into Jeru- 
salem (Is. lxii. 11; Zach. ix. 9; Ps. cxvii. 26); 
the greeting of the infants in the Temple (Ps. 
viii. 3) ; and His rejection by the Sanhedrim (Ps. 
cxvii. 22). They foretold the betrayal by Judas 
(Ps. xl. 10) and the buying of the potter's field 
with the blood-money (Zach. xi„ 13). They de- 
scribed the arrest of Jesus (Lam. iv. 20) ; the de- 
sertion by His disciples (Zach. xiii. 7) ; the spit- 
ting in His face (Is. 1. 6) ; the insults of the 
soldiers (Ps. xxi. 17) ; and His crucifixion (Ps. 
xxi. 18). They minutely describe how the execu- 
tioners divided the Saviour's clothing and cast 
lots for His seamless garments (Ps. xxi. 19). They 
tell us how the Jews taunted the crucified Saviour, 
telling Him to come down from the cross and they 
will then believe in Him (Wisd. ii. 18; Ps. xxi. 
8). And finally we learn from them how the 
heavenly Father abandoned His own divine Son 
when He is burdened by the sins of the world (Ps. 
xxi. 2), but that "His sepulcher shall be glorious" 
(Is. xi. 10). 

3. The Testimony of Christ's Works. 

The works of Jesus Christ testify that He is 
the Son of God and the Eedeemer of mankind. 
The prudence which Jesus Christ exercised in 
His relations with both the Eomans and the Jew- 
ish officials manifests His extraordinary genius. 



180 REVEALED RELIGION. 

The effect of His words shows that "He spoke with 
authority/ 5 But the miracles which He performed 
show Him to be divine. For, the elements of 
nature, the diseases of the body, life and death, 
and even invisible spirits were subject to His power. 
A single word, a simple touch, a mere act of 
His will, sufficed to produce the most miraculous 
effects. Not only the hidden thoughts of His 
hearers, but even the most remote events were 
equally known to Him, and were revealed by Him 
on several occasions. Not only was He able to 
exercise this miraculous power personally, but He 
also delegated it to His disciples. It is evident, 
therefore, from the perfect mastery which Jesus 
Christ exercised over all creatures, that He was 
something more than a creature Himself — that 
He was, as He claimed to be, the Messias, and as 
such, the Son of God, and the Second Person of 
the Blessed Trinity. 

When the disciples of John the Baptist, there- 
fore, came to inquire of Jesus Christ whether He 
was the long-expected Messias, He could confident- 
ly point to the fulfilment of a most important 
prophecy and say, "Go and relate to John what 
you have heard and seen. The blind see, the 
lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, 
the dead rise again, the poor have the Gospel 
preached to them" (Is. xxxv. 5; lxi. 1). Hence 
when the Jews called Jesus a blasphemer, because 
He declared Himself to be the Son of God, He 
could answer with all confidence, "If I do not the 



THE MISSION OF JESUS CHRIST. 181 

works of My Father, believe Me not. But if I 
do, though you will not believe Me, believe My 
works" (Johnx. 37). 

4. The Mission of Jesus Christ. 

Jesus Christ came into this world to effect the 
salvation of mankind. His mission included a 
threefold work: (1) the Atonement to His heaven- 
ly Father for the sins of the world; (2) the Ee- 
demption of the human race from the slavery of 
Satan; and (3) the Sanctification of mankind 
through the application of the merits of His suffer- 
ing and death. The first two objects He accomp- 
lished independently by His voluntary sacrifice 
on Calvary. But the third can be effected only 
by "the good will" or free co-operation of indi- 
vidual souls. 

The salvation of mankind consists in earning 
and receiving the eternal reward of heaven. This 
was made impossible already by the sin of Adam. 
For that sin (1) offended God and drew His dis- 
pleasure upon the human race; (2) it subjected 
man to the slavery of Satan; and (3) left him, 
stripped of God's friendship and grace, helpless 
by the wayside of life. It was, therefore, the 
mission of Jesus Christ to make salvation not only 
possible but absolutely certain for all "of good 
will." The work of the atonement and redemp- 
tion made salvation possible. The work of sanc- 
tification gives man evident certainty of his sal- 
vation. To accomplish His part of the work of 



182 REVEALED RELIGION. 

man's sanctification, Jesus Christ did chiefly five 
things: (1) He filled up the deposit of faith, 
either personally or through His immediate dis- 
ciples, thus clearly indicating the way to heaven; 
(2) He promulgated a new law, telling man how 
to make the journey of life; (3) He instituted 
special means of grace, called sacraments, to en- 
able all "of good will" to keep God's law; (4) 
He organized all those who accepted His new 
form of Eeligion into a society which He called 
His Church; and (5) He gave the Church the 
unerring guidance of the Holy Ghost in helping 
all "of good will" to save their immortal souls. 

5. The Religion of Jesus Christ. 

Jesus Christ established the universal, or Catho- 
lic, Eeligion. It was known to the Israelites that 
the peculiar ceremonial and civil laws which dis- 
tinguished the Mosaic from the Patriarchal form 
of Eeligion were to be of temporal duration. They 
were to end with the advent of the Messias. In 
fact, Moses himself had declared to Israel that 
"The Lord thy God will raise up to thee a Prophet 
of thy nation and of thy brethren like unto me: 
Him thou shalt hear" (Deut. xviii. 15). "I will 
raise them up a Prophet out of the midst of their 
brethren like unto thee," said the Lord to Moses, 
"and I will put My words in His mouth, and He 
shall speak to them all that I shall command Him. 
And he that will not hear His words, which He 



THE RELIGION OF JESUS CHRIST. 183 

shall speak in My name, I will be his avenger" 
(Dent, xviii. 18, 19). 

Isaias foretold that this Prophet would be a 
great lawgiver : "Behold My servant," he says : "I 
have given My spirit npon Him; He shall bring 
forth judgment to the Gentiles — and the islands 
shall wait for His law" (Is. xlii. 1-4). Jere- 
mias announced the covenant of this new law- 
giver saying, "Behold the clays shall come, saith 
the Lord, and I will make a new covenant with 
the house of Israel, and with the house of Juda; 
not according to the covenant which I made with 
their fathers. But this shall be the covenant that 
I will make with the house of Israel after those 
days, saith the Lord: I will give My law in 
their bowels and write it in their hearts" (Jer. 
xxxi. 31-3). St. Paul in commenting on these 
words declares that "In saying a new covenant, 
God hath made the former old" (Hebr. viii. 13). 

The prophet Daniel foretold that the Mosaic 
sacrifices would cease. "The victim and the sacri- 
fices shall fail" (Dan. ix. 27). Through Isaias, 
"saith the Lord, I will take of the Gentiles to be 
priests and Levites" (Is. lxvi. 21). "Priests ac- 
cording to the order of Melchisedech," adds the 
Psalmist (Ps. cix. 4), so that "From the rising of 
the sun even to the going down, My name is great 
among the Gentiles, and in every place there is 
sacrifice and there is offered to My name a clean 
oblation ; for My name is great among the Gentiles, 
saith the Lord" (Mai. i. 11). 



184 REVEALED RELIGION. 

In the fulness of time "the expected of nations" 
arrived, in the person of Jesus Christ. He ful- 
filled minutely all that the prophets had fore- 
told of the Messias. In fact, He declared that 
He came not to abrogate the law and the prophets 
but to fulfill them (Matt. v. 17). Indeed, Jesus 
Christ fulfilled the law and the prophets in regard 
to man's sanctification by establishing the Catho- 
lic Eeligion. He filled up the deposit of faith 
with a doctrine simple, yet holy and sublime, so 
that the people were in admiration. For "He 
taught them as one having power' (Matt. vii. 
29). Indeed, St. Thomas says that "the greatest 
philosophers who lived before Christ could not 
know what since the time of Our Saviour a well- 
instructed child knows about God, the necessity 
and the means of salvation." 

The law which Jesus Christ promulgated was 
likewise characteristic. It was holy. "Be per- 
fect," He said, "as also your heavenly Father is 
perfect" (Matt v. 48). ""This is the will of God, 
your sanctification" (Thes. iv. 3). It was simple. 
"Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with thy whole 
heart. Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself" 
(Matt. xxii. 33). This law was universal. "On 
these two commandments dependeth the whole 
law and the prophets" (Matt. xxii. 40). 

This new Prophet gave the highest and holiest 
sanction to His law. He promised to all that observe 
it peace of conscience in this life, saying, "Learn 
of Me to be meek and humble of heart and you 



WHAT 18 THE CHURCH? 185 

will find rest for your souls" (Matt. ix. 43). But 
of the wicked He says, "Destruction and misery 
in their ways ; and the way of peace they have not 
known" (Eom. iii. 16). In the next world He 
promises life eternal to the just. For "This is 
the promise which He hath promised us, life ever- 
lasting" (1 John ii. 25). But the wicked who re- 
fuse to keep His law, He will condemn to hell, 
"where the worm dieth not and the fire is not ex- 
tinguished" (Mark ix. 43). Jesus Christ gave 
to all "of good will" most efficacious means of 
salvation. He established a Church to continue 
His work unto the end of time. He not only em- 
phasized the nature and necessity of prayer, but 
also taught it by word and example. He institu- 
ted seven sacraments, as fountains of divine grace. 
In one word, He established a form of Eeligion 
which was perfect, not only in law and faith, but 
also in the means of eternal life which it placed 
within the reach of all "of good will." 

6. What is the Church? 

In general, the Church may be denned as a so- 
ciety composed of all who profess to pay God the 
debt of Eeligion according to the form established 
by divine authority. The Church which Jesus 
Christ has established may be defined briefly as 
a society composed of all who practise Eeligion 
according to the guidance of His vicar on earth. 

Every society has its peculiar organization, its 
own end, as well as the means of attaining that 



133 REVEALED RELIGION. 

end. In the Church of the New Law Jesus 
Christ has left a divine, monarchical organization, 
in which all mankind may find the absolute 
knowledge and the infallible means of salvation. 
Jesus Christ founded His Church on St. Peter 
and made him His first vicar. "Thou art Peter" 
(Peter means rock), said Christ in His promise, 
"and on this rock I will build My Church. To 
thee will I give the keys of the kingdom of heav- 
en" (Matt. xvi. 18). Afterward, when He had 
built His Church, Jesus said again to Peter, "Feed 
My lambs, feed My sheep" (John xxi. 15-17). 

Jesus Christ commissioned His Apostles to 
gather all mankind into this society. "Go ye, there- 
fore, teach all nations" (Matt, xviii. 18) are the 
words of their commission. He ordained, more- 
over, that all be subject to the authority of this 
Church. "If any one will not hear the Church," 
said He, "let him be to thee as a heathen and a 
publican" (Matt, xviii. 17). "Whosoever hears 
you, hears Me, whosoever despises you, despises 
Me" (Luke x. 16). Christ, finally, enjoined on 
all the use of the same means of salvation, saying, 
"Teach them to observe whatsoever I have com- 
manded you" (Matt, xxviii. 20). "Baptizing them 
in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of 
the Holy Ghost." "Whose sins you shall forgive, 
they are forgiven them." "Do this in commemora- 
tion of Me" (Luke xxii. 19). From these words 
alone it is evident that Jesus Christ established a 
governing body in His Church subject to St. Peter 



WHAT IS THE CHURCH? 187 

and his successors, and conferred upon this body 
a threefold prerogative, viz.: (1) teachers of the 
truth; (2) rulers of the faithful; (3) priests of 
the Church, and as such, ministers of God's mercy 
to all "of good will." 

It is evident, moreover, that the Church is (1) 
a visible society, visible in her members and in her 
working; (2) a supernatural society, conducting 
all "of good will" to their eternal happiness; (3) 
a necessary society for all who wish to go to heaven, 
because Christ the Lord has instituted no 
other; (4) a divinely human society, having God 
for its founder and sustainer and mankind for 
members; (5) a positive divine society whose 
nature and properties are not to be deduced from 
natural principles, but from the deliberate in- 
stitution of Jesus Christ. 

Objections. 

1. Has it not been said that the Church is invis- 
ible? — But Christ said that it is like a city seated 
on a mountain that cannot be hid (Matt. v. 14). 

2. Do not the faithful choose their ministers? 
Hence all are equal ! — Not in the Church of 
Christ, who chooses His own ministers. "I have 
chosen you" (John xv. 16). "As the Father 
hath sent Me, so I send you" (John xx. 21). 
"How shall they preach, unless they be sent?" 
(Eom. x. 15.) 

3. Christ gave His power directly to the 
princes of this world. — Never. He said on the 



188 REVEALED RELIGION. 

contrary, "My kingdom is not of this world" 
(John xviii. 36). 

4. Christ gave equal power to the Apostles 
and their successors. — To Peter alone did Christ 
say: "Thou art Peter and on this rock I will 
build My Church," "Feed My lambs, feed My 
sheep." 

5. St. Paul says that Christ is the foundation 
of the Church (1 Cor. iii. 11).— Yes, says St. 
Alphonsus, Christ is the foundation who has left 
St. Peter as the secondary and visible foundation. 

6. St. Paul again says that we are built upon 
the foundation of the Apostles (Eph. ii. 20).— 
Who are subordinate to Peter the Rock. 

7. Christ conferred the same power on the 
other Apostles as on St. Peter.— The same power 
of Orders but not of jurisdiction. 

8. St. Paul declared that he had solicitude 
for all the churches (2 Cor. xi. 28).— "As teacher, 
not as supreme ruler," explains St. Augustine. 

9. But St. Paul withstood Cephas (Gal. ii. 
1 1 ) .—What Cephas ? Peter ? Only in a question 
of policy, not of supremacy. 

7. The Apostles. 

The Apostles were men sent by Jesus Christ to 
preach "peace on earth to all of good will." About 
the second year of His public ministry, our divine 
Saviour chose twelve men to assist Him in His 
labors and to continue His work after His death. 
These twelve the Evangelists call Apostles. They 



THE PBIMAOY OF PETER. 189 

are Peter and Andrew, James and John (the 
sons of Zebedee), Philip and Nathaniel, or Bar- 
tholomew, Matthew and Thomas, or Didymus, 
James and Jude (the sons of Alpheus, or Cleo- 
phas), Simon Zelotes, and Judas Iscariot. They 
were mostly poor and illiterate men, the weak 
whom God had chosen to confound the strong. 
Eleven were from Galilee, the twelfth was from 
Judea. At least six were fishermen, one a scribe 
and another a publican. 

Having authorized them to teach in His name, 
Jesus also placed the seal of miracles upon their 
work, by giving them "power over unclean spirits, 
to cast them out, and to heal all manner of dis- 
eases, and all manner of infirmities." When Judas 
had hanged himseli, Peter held an election at 
which Mathias was chosen to take the place of the 
traitor. About eight years later (A. D. 42) the 
Holy Ghost chose Paul and Barnabas to preach 
the Gospel to the Gentiles (Acts xiii. 2). 

8. The Primacy of Peter. 

As vicar of Jesus Christ, St. Peter surpassed 
the other Apostles, not only in rank, but also 
in authority. This right of jurisdiction is called 
the primacy of Peter. Every society must obvi- 
ously have a head. God, therefore, who gave man 
a head to govern his members, would certainly not 
establish a headless Church. In fact, as the head 
is an essential part of man, so the primacy of Peter 
is an essential part of the Church. Besides, as 



190 REVEALED RELIGION. 

the head gives strength and solidity to the 
body, so also does the primacy of Peter give unity 
and strength to the Church of Christ. Indeed, 
as the head is the principle and center of bodily 
action, so the primacy of Peter is the principle and 
center of ecclesiastical unity. 

Without consulting the testimony of divine tra- 
dition, we find these three things distinctly 
stated in the Bible in regard to the primacy of 
Peter: (1) that Jesus Christ promised it to 
Peter; (2) that He actually conferred the same; 
and (3) that Peter exercised it. 

These are the circumstances of the promise. 
While Christ and His disciples were in "the quart- 
ers of Cesarea Philippi," Peter replied to the ques- 
tion of his Master, "Who did you say that I am ?" 
and said, 'Thou art Christ, the Son of the living 
God." Whereupon the Saviour promised the pri- 
macy of jurisdiction to St. Peter in these memo- 
rable words: "And I say thou art Peter (Peter 
means rock), and upon this rock I will build my 
Church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail 
against it. I will give to thee the keys of the 
kingdom of heaven. 'Whatsoever thou shalt bind 
on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatsoever 
thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven" 
(Matt. xvi. 15-19). 

Whatever Jesus Christ promised He also gave. 
The promise which He solemnly made to Peter 
in Cesarea before His suffering and death, He 
fulfilled with greater solemnity after His glorious 



TEE PRIMACY OF PETER. 191 

Resurrection. He appeared to His Apostles at 
the sea of Galilee and prepared a meal for them. 
"When therefore they had dined, Jesus saith to 
Simon Peter: Simon, son of John, lovest thou 
Me more than these ? He saith to Him : Yea, Lord, 
thou knowest that I love Thee. He saith to him : 
Feed My lambs. He saith to him again: Simon 
son of John, lovest thou Me? He said to Him: 
Yea, Lord, Thou knowest that I love Thee. He 
saith to him : Feed My lambs. He said to him the 
third time: Simon, son of John, lovest thou Me? 
Peter was grieved, because He said to him the 
third time, Lovest thou Me ? And he said to Him : 
Lord, Thou knowest all things ; Thou knowest that 
I love Thee. He said to him: Feed My sheep" 
(John xxi. 15-17). 

During His public life, Our Saviour frequently 
spoke of His Church as His fold, and of His dis- 
ciples as His flock. Under the same familiar 
figure He now confides the entire Church, botii 
faithful and pastors, to St. Peter. 

Whenever the names of the Apostles are men- 
tioned in Sacred Scripture, the name of St. Peter 
always stands first. In fact, St. Matthew expressly 
called St. Peter the first Apostle (x. 2). Now, we 
know that he was first neither in election, age, 
learning, nor even in the love of Christ. The 
priority of rank and honor must, therefore, have 
been the result of the primacy of authority or 
jurisdiction. At least, in this light alone can the 
actions of St. Peter, as recorded in the first twelve 



192 REVEALED RELIGION. 

chapters of the Acts, be reasonably understood. 
Peter alone proposes the election of a successor 
to Judas (Acts i.). He is the first to preach (Acts 
ii.). The first to perform miracles (Acts iii.). 
The first to rebuke the civil authorities (Acts 
iv.). The first to receive Gentile converts (Acts 
x.) . In the Council of Jerusalem "there was much 
disputing" before Peter spoke. But when Peter 
had spoken "all the multitude held their peace" 
(Acts xv.). When St. James, the brother of the 
Beloved Disciple, is cast into prison and beheaded, 
no special effort is made to release him. But 
when St. Peter is imprisoned, the whole Church 
is aroused. Prayers are everywhere offered up 
for his delivery (Acts xii.), for they cannot afford 
to lose their chief pastor. 

Objections. 

1. Does not the supremacy of Peter conflict 
with the supremacy of Christ ? — By no means. St. 
Peter is the visible representative of Christ, who 
is the invisible Head of the Church. 

2. Our Lord rebuked Peter. — That proves 
nothing against his primacy. 

3. But St. Paul "withstood Cephas to his 
face" (Gal. ii. 11). — As we have seen it was at 
most in a question of discipline in treating with 
converts. Besides, was this Cephas St. Peter? 

9. The Attributes of the Church. 

The attributes of the Church are certain in- 



THE ATTRIBUTES OF THE CHURCH. 193 

herent qualities which necessarily flow from the 
very nature of a divinely instituted Church. These 
qualities are four: authority, infallibility, inde- 
fectibility, and necessity. Jesus Christ instituted 
His Church to continue His mission unto the end 
of time. Doing His work, acting in His name, 
the Church must have the authority of Christ. 
This authority He gave her when He said: "All 
power is given to Me in heaven and on earth. As 
the Father hath sent Me, so I send you" (John 
xx. 21). A merely human agent might deceive 
either through malice or through frailty. If 
therefore the Church is to be a reliable agent of 
God, He must communicate to her His own in- 
fallibility. Thus alone can the Church not deceive 
man in the important affair of his salvation, nor 
be deceived herself in regard to the way or the 
means that conduct to life eternal. Jesus Christ, 
being the God of infinite wisdom, therefore made 
His Church an infallible guide for "all of good 
will" by sending the Holy Ghost, the Spirit of 
truth, upon her, who will remain with her to the 
end of time (John xiv. 16-26). 

Besides, since change and destruction are natural 
for human and temporal affairs, this Church must 
be preserved, not only against external agents of 
destruction, but also from every essential internal 
change, if she is to be the agent of God to the end 
of time. For it is necessary not only that the 
Church exist, but also that she exist the same 
during all time. The Church of Christ, by her 



194 REVEALED RELIGION. 

very nature, must be preserved, not only from 
destruction, but also from essential change by in- 
crease or decrease. She must be indefectible. She 
can admit no additional revelation, or essentials 
denned by her divine Founder. This indefecti- 
bility is brought about by the same divine Power 
who said the gates of hell will not prevail 
against her (Matt. xvi. 18). "Behold, I am 
with you all days, even to the consummation of the 
world" (Matt, xxviii. 20). 

Finally, the Church, being the ordinary means 
of salvation instituted by Jesus Christ, is neces- 
sary for every human being. If therefore, any 
one would wilfully neglect to enter or refuse to 
live up to the teaching of that Church whose 
claim he recognizes, he would put himself in di- 
rect opposition to Jesus Christ. For it was He 
who said, "He that believeth not shall be con- 
demned" (Mark xvi. 16). "If any one will not 
hear the Church, let him be to thee as a heathen 
and as a publican (Matt, xviii. 17). 

Objections. 

1. God cannot delegate His authority to man. 
— Why not? Cannot God do what man does? 

2. Henry VIII. said the authority of the 
Church comes from the king. — But Christ said, 
"As the Father sent Me, so I send you" (John 
xx. 21). 

3. The Church cannot lawfully exercise her 
authority without the consent of the state. — That 



THE MARKS OF THE CHURCH. 195 

is not so. Christ said, "Kender to Caesar the 
things that are Caesar's and to God the things 
that are God's." 

4. Infallibility is impossible in man. — Yes, 
but not in God. 

5. Infallibility claims private judgment. — 
The infallibility of Christ in His Church pro- 
tects private judgment against error in faith and 
morals. 

6. Every one knows that the Church has 
erred. — Strange! No one can say where, when, 
or how. 

7. Many public revelations have been made 
since the Bible was written. — But not by God. 

8. Have not sacraments been instituted since 
the time of Christ? — No. They all come from 
Jesus Christ, as Scripture and Apostolic tradition 
prove. 

9. Why, the Church has made two new dog- 
mas during the last century. — And thereby merely 
declared that two truths were of Apostolic origin. 

10. You can be saved out of the Church as 
well as in it. — This is strange considering that 
Christ has said, "If any one will not hear the 
Church, let him be to thee as a heathen and as a 
publican (Matt, xviii. 17). 

io. The Marks of the Church. 

The marks of the Church are certain visible 
qualities which easily distinguish the true 
Church of Christ from every human institution. 



196 REVEALED RELIGION. 

The Church has four such marks. They are, 
Unity, Holiness, Catholicity, and Apostolicity. Of 
all the religious societies that seek the allegiance 
of man, the Church which Christ has established 
alone has and can have these qualities. History 
can show this Church alone to be one in faith, one 
in communion, and one in government. The 
unity of faith by its external profession. The 
unity of communion is seen in the reception of 
the same sacraments and participation in the 
same worship. The unity of government is evi- 
dent in the obedience of the faithful to their law- 
ful pastors, living in subordination to the vicar 
of Jesus Christ on earth. 

The true Church is holy in her Founder and 
spiritual Lord, in her mission, in her law, in her 
doctrine, and in her means of grace. This holi- 
ness of the Church manifests itself in the indi- 
vidual "of good will" by leading him on in the 
path of virtue. It manifests itself in the Church 
at large by its undying life and the constant sanc- 
tion of miracles. The Church of Christ is doubly 
Catholic, or universal. The Apostles, first, 
spread her over the whole world. She is, besides, 
Catholic in her membership, which is composed 
of people of all nations, all states, and all walks 
in life. Like St. Paul she makes herself "all to 
all to win all to Christ." Finally, the true Church 
of Christ is founded on the Apostles, and must 
come down to us from them. Only that Church 
can have the faith for which they suffered and died. 



THE HOLY GHOST AND THE CHURCH. 197 
Objections. 

1. Faith alone is the mark of the true Church. — 
"Faith if it have not works is dead" (Jas. ii. 17). 

2. There are various branches of the true 
Church. — Christ said there are "dead branches on 
the tree of life," but He never said a word that 
is recorded about a branch church. 

3. If the Church is holy, how account for sin- 
ners in the fold? — By a want "of good will" in 
some members with free will. 

4. I am Apostolic if I hold the doctrine of the 
Apostles. — Doctrine alone does not suffice. You 
must also practise the morality of the Apostles 
and worship God as they did. To be Apostolic 
you must hold all their teaching, belong to the 
Church which is founded on them, and live as a 
practical member of the same. 

ii. The Holy Ghost and the Church. 

The Holy Ghost is that divine Spirit who ani- 
mates the Church of Christ. We may consider 
the Church merely as a society, or, with St. Paul, 
as the mystical body of Christ. In either case, 
she is composed of a divine and a human ele- 
ment. The human element is made up of all her 
members. The divine element, especially in actual 
operation, is that Holy Spirit who came down 
upon the Church, according to the Saviour's 
promise, on the great day of Pentecost. As Christ 
is the invisible Head, so the Holy Ghost is the soul 



198 REVEALED RELIGION. 

of His Church. As the vivifying principle of the 
Church of Christ, the Holy Ghost has a twofold 
mission, one to the Church as a whole, the other 
to every individual member. By the first He di- 
rects and guides the Church in the way of holi- 
ness and truth. By the second He sanctifies every 
individual member "of good will." The human 
element is weak, the divine element makes it 
6trong. The human element is fallible, the divine 
makes it infallible. The human element is perish- 
able, the divine is the source of its undying life. 

To the individual the Holy Spirit first gives 
supernatural life and makes him a member of 
Christ's mystical body. He then nourishes and 
directs every member "of good will" by the appli- 
cation of Christ's merits. On account of man's 
free will, this is necessarily proportionate to the 
practical efforts made to receive and co-operate 
with the divine help. If man perseveres in his 
practical good will, this grace will increase and 
gradually transform him into a true child of God, 
according to the model of the Incarnate Son. Thus 
the Holy Ghost, as the soul of the Church of 
Christ, gives absolute certainty in religious mat- 
ters to mankind, and, by His grace, becomes both 
the means and the measure of man's sanctification. 

12. Outside the Church no Salvation. 

"Outside the Church there is no salvation" means 
that according to divine institution man must be- 



OUTSIDE THE CHURCH NO SALVATION. 199 

long to the Church which Christ has established 
in order to be saved. It is evident that man must 
do God's will to be admitted to heaven. His will 
is that man accept and practise that form of Ke- 
ligion which was revealed through His divine Son. 
Whoever refuses to do this cannot hope to be 
pleasing to God or share in the merits of Jesus 
Christ. Hence, the Saviour says, "He that be- 
lieveth and is baptized shall be saved, but he that 
believeth not shall be condemned" (Mark xvi. 16). 

It is evident that the Eeligion revealed by Jesus 
Christ can be practised in its entirety only in the 
Church which He has established. As St. Paul 
says, there is but "one Lord, one faith, one bap- 
tism" (Eph. iv. 5). That Lord has established 
but one Church. He teaches but one faith that 
leads to it. He has instituted but one baptism, 
as a spiritual regeneration into it. There is no 
other means of salvation instituted by God than 
this Church. Hence there is no salvation outside 
of it. 

It is evident, moreover, that it would be griev- 
ous disobedience to God to refuse to enter that 
Church which Christ has established. For Christ 
expressly said, "He that heareth you, heareth Me, 
and he that despiseth you, despiseth Him that 
sent Me" (Luke x. 16). Again He said: "If thy 
brother will not hear the Church, let him be to 
thee as the heathen and the publican" (Matt, xviii. 
17). To despise the heavenly Father, or to be "as 
the heathen and the publican," is certainly not 



200 REVEALED RELIGION. 

doing God's will. Whoever is guilty of this griev- 
ous disobedience by remaining outside the Church 
through his own fault can therefore in no way 
hope for salvation. 

So evidently is this doctrine in harmony with 
reason that even Calvin declares, "Outside the 
fold of this Church there is no hope of pardon 
for sins, no salvation" (Inst. Bk. iv. c. 3). 

13. Conditions of Practical Membership. 

Jesus Christ insists on the fulfilment of four 
conditions for practical membership in His 
Church: (1) The first of these is Faith. "Without 
faith it is impossible to please God" (Hebr. xi. 
6). (2) The second requisite is Baptism, whereby 
a person is born to the spiritual life. Of this 
the Saviour said to Nicodemus, "Unless a man be 
born again of water and the Holy Ghost, he can- 
not enter into the kingdom of heaven" (John iii. 
5). (3) Keeping the Commandments is the 
third requisite. "Xot every one that saith to Me, 
Lord, Lord, shall enter the kingdom of heaven; 
but he that doth the will of My Father— he shall 
enter the kingdom of heaven" (Matt. vii. 21), 
said Our Saviour. Again He said, "If thou wilt 
enter into life, keep the commandments" (Matt, 
xix. 17). (4) The last requisite is the proper 
use of the Means of Grace. These are prayer and 
the sacraments. Heaven is above man's natural 
strength. His nature, besides, is corrupted by 
sin. Man, therefore, doubly needs God's help to 



DIVINE FAITH. 201 

be a practical member of the Church of Jesus 
Christ. This help will be given to him in propor- 
tion as he freely makes use of the means of grace 
which Christ has instituted and taught us to use. 

14. Divine Faith. 

Faith is a divine virtue by which we believe the 
truths which God has revealed. The human mind 
assents to truth in two ways : (1) Like a balance 
it naturally inclines to a truth on account of the 
weight of intrinsic evidence proposed to it. (2) 
It assents more or less firmly to a truth in propor- 
tion to the extrinsic evidence furnished by the 
authority and veracity of the person who proposes 
the truth for acceptance. The assent of faith is 
of this latter kind. Of its very nature divine faith 
must be firm, universal, and submissive. It is 
naturally most firm on account of the infinite 
authority and veracity of God, who can neither 
deceive or be deceived. Certainly the nature and 
knowledge of God qualify Him to speak, and His 
infinite veracity demands the firmest assent of the 
human mind. Hence the knowledge of faith is 
safer even than that of science. For, when we 
admit that all knowledge comes from God, we 
readily see that supposed science may be mistaken, 
but God cannot err or deceive in His word where- 
by He reveals a truth to us. In the second place 
divine faith must of its very nature be universal. 
It must extend to all known revelation. Man 
may speak with authority on one subject and err 



202 REVEALED RELIGION. 

on another. Again, man may speak the truth on 
one occasion and falsehood on another. But God, 
being the eternal, infallible Truth, necessarily 
speaks with the same authority and veracity at all 
times and on all subjects. Hence the assent of 
faith, to be an act of divine faith, must neces- 
sarily extend to all revelation. If a person, there- 
fore, knowingly assents to one revealed truth and 
not to another, he has no divine faith at all, but 
at most a natural faith. For he really gives his 
assent rather from taste or fancy than on account 
of the infinite veracity of God. 

The assent of faith must, finally, be submissive. 
God certainly is the Lord and Master. When He, 
therefore, reveals a truth, it is man's sacred duty 
to accept it and live up to it, even though it natur- 
ally be distasteful to him. For, as St. Paul says, 
"without faith it is impossible to please God" 
(Hebr. ix. 6). And Our Saviour declares that he 
"that believeth not shall be condemned" (Mark 
xvi. 16). 

Should any one, therefore, have a doubt whether 
he possesses "the truth, the whole truth, and noth- 
ing but the truth" of revelation, he is bound in 
duty to himself as well as to God to make inquiry 
till he obtain full possession of the truth, which 
alone can "make him free." 

Objections. 
1. God is good and will not be so particular. 



OBTAINING AND PRESERVING FAITH. 203 

— But He declares that he who doth not believe 
will be condemned (Mark xvi. 16). 

2. Ignorance of revelation excuses from faith. 
— Unwillingness to investigate is bad faith. 

3. Eevelation is a gift which man may use or 
refuse. — To accept revelation is a divine com- 
mand. 

4. Eevelation is corrupted and unreliable. — 
God who gave us revelation ever watches over it 
and preserves it in its essential integrity. 

5. It is impossible to see the truth. — Only 
when you persistently close your eyes to it. 

6. I feel that I have the right faith. — Your 
certainty should not spring from feeling, but from 
conviction, which is the result of prayer and 
study. 

7. I can believe what I like. — Not if you are 
determined to go to heaven. 

15. Means of Obtaining and Preserving Faith. 

The means of obtaining and preserving faith 
are those dispositions of mind and heart that 
make man pleasing in the sight of God. For 
faith, being a free gift of God, cannot be obtained 
or preserved independently by man. Since God, 
however, is infinitely good, and wishes the salva- 
tion of all mankind, He offers the gift of faith to 
every soul for which Christ has died. Hence as 
long as man is "of good will" and honestly en- 
deavors to do what is right in the sight of God, 



204 REVEALED RELIGION. 

he will eventually receive and persevere in the 
faith. 

If a person is really "of good will" he will natu- 
rally think seriously on the life to come. This 
thought on the eternal truths will beget in him 
that "fear of the Lord" which "is the beginning of 
wisdom" (Ps. ex. 10). This fear of the Lord is 
the first disposing means. For "he that is with- 
out fear cannot be justified" (Eccl. i. 28). The 
second means is sincerity with God. We know 
on the one hand, that the only persons who received 
a harsh word from Our Saviour were the insincere 
Pharisees. On the other hand, St. Thomas teaches 
that God would not hesitate to send an angel to 
instruct a sincere soul in the faith if other means 
were wanting. Desire for the gift of faith and 
a high appreciation of the same are another dis- 
posing means. Both God and man delight in be- 
stowing favors when they are desired and appre- 
ciated. "Give not that which is holy to dogs," 
says Our Saviour, "neither cast ye pearls before 
swine" (Matt. vii. 6). They that appreciate the 
gift of faith will receive an increase so that they 
"may abound." 

Prayer is the great means of obtaining any of 
God's favors. It is particularly a powerful means 
of obtaining and preserving the gift of faith. 
Especially is this the case when prayer comes from 
a contrite and grateful heart. For "a contrite and 
humble heart, God, Thou wilt not despise," 



THE RULE OF FAITH. 205 

says the Psalmist (Ps. 1. 19), while gratitude finds 
favor with both God and man. 

16. Harmony of Faith and Reason. 

Eight reason and the teaching of faith must 
necessarily agree. God is author of both. He 
has given man the light of reason to acquire 
knowledge in the natural order. He has also given 
man the light of faith in the spiritual order. 
These two lights may be directed to one and the 
6ame truth. But they can never contradict each 
other. For truth is necessarily one. Faith and 
reason are only two ways of acquiring truth. They 
always harmonize, because they both come from 
God, who cannot deceive or be deceived. 

Besides, God, the eternal Truth, is author of 
every other truth. He certainly understands His 
own truths better than man can ever comprehend 
them. If, therefore, God deigns to reveal His 
truth to us, we evidently can be more certain of 
these truths by faith than by any process of mere 
reasoning. For even in the closest reasoning man 
may err, but God never. Hence, should an appar- 
ent conflict arise between the teaching of faith 
and of reason, the presumption ought rather to be 
in favor of faith than of reason. At any rate, 
more careful study will invariably show that the 
message of the one or the other teacher of truth 
had been misinterpreted and misunderstood. 

17. The Rule of Faith. 

The rule of faith is the criterion whereby man 



206 REVEALED RELIGION. 

can infallibly possess the revealed truth. Three 
reasons may be given for the necessity of a rule 
of faith: (1) To discover the truth. (2) To 
preserve the unity of faith. (3) To settle religious 
controversies authoritatively. If Jesus Christ had 
not provided for these emergencies He would be 
unjust in commanding man under pain of eternal 
helPs fire to believe and practise all that He has 
taught. Moreover, since all men have equal rights 
before God, this divine rule of faith must (1) 
be within the reach of all mankind; (2) be equal- 
ly adapted to the capacity of all, both learned and 
ignorant; and (3) give absolute certainty in its 
application. 

During the course of time three distinct rules 
of faith have been suggested: (l) a teaching body 
in the Church infallibly guided by God; (2) the 
Bible, or rather individual, private interpretation 
of its teaching; (3) private inspiration or illum- 
ination whereby God directly leads the individual 
into a knowledge of His teaching. Now, it is 
evident to any one with common sense that the 
second rule of faith mentioned does not possess 
the necessary requirements. For truth is objective, 
as we have seen. A subjective interpretation of 
revelation never was within the reach of all man- 
kind; neither is it adapted to the capacity of all 
mankind. Above all, it can never give that divine 
certitude which man desires in religious matters. 
It is equally evident from daily life that God 
never intended to guide man in spiritual things 



TEE RULE OF FAITH. 207 

by individual inspiration or illumination alone. 
For, on the one hand, the majority of mankind 
never claim to experience such divine aids, and, on 
the other, those who make such claims are usually 
suffering from hallucinations. The first rule of 
faith alone remains. History and revelation show 
that Jesus Christ instituted an infallible teaching 
body as a rule or guide in faith for "all of good 
will." "All things whatsoever I have heard of 
My Father," said Christ to His Apostles and their 
successors, "I have made known to you" (John 
xv. 15). ' Going, therefore, teach all nations" 
(Matt, xxviii. 19). "The Paraclete, the Holy 
Ghost, whom the Father will send in My name, 
He will teach you all things, and bring all things 
to your mind, whatsoever I have said to you" 
(John xiv. 26). He, the Spirit of truth, will 
"teach you all things" (John xvi. 13) and "abide 
with you forever" (xiv. 16). 

This rule of faith discovers revealed truth with 
divine certainty. It preserves the unity of faith. 
It is competent to settle any religious doubt or 
controversy. It is within the reach of all mankind, 
and adapted to the capacity of all. And it alone 
can give man that unwavering certainty which he 
desires when the eternal welfare of his soul is in 
question. 

Having thus given to all "of good will" an 
adequate guide or rule of faith in the infallible 
teaching body of His Church, no one can accuse 
the Saviour of harshness when He declares in 



208 REVEALED RELIGION. 

conclusion, "He that believeth and is baptized, 
shall be saved, but he that believeth not shall be 
condemned" (Mark xvi. 16). 

Objections. 

1. The Bible is the rule of faith.— The 
Bible, like the civil law, must be interpreted by a 
competent authority. 

2. Is not the Holy Ghost the guide of souls? — 
Yes ; it is He who actually makes the teaching body 
of Christ's Church infallible. 

3. The Church did not always exist. — The 
Church of God is as old as man. 

4. Was the Jewish Church infallible ?— That 
is disputed. 

18. Creed. 

A creed is a summary of revealed truth. It 
6erves a threefold purpose: (1) It simplifies the 
learning of revelation. (2) It aids in preserving 
the unity of faith. (3) It serves as a form 
of public profession of faith. 

There are various summaries of revealed truths. 
The shortest was made by Our Saviour Himself 
when He summed up the entire revelation in the 
one word, Gospel (Mark xvi. 15). The second 
shortest was used among the first converts of the 
Church. It is this, "I believe that J'esus Christ 
is the Son of God" (Acts viii. 37). The best- 
known creed dates back to Apostolic times and is 
called the Apostles' Creed. All the creeds of later 



CREED. 209 

date are an amplification of this one. For, in the 
course of time, it happened repeatedly that a con- 
troversy arose regarding one or the other revealed 
truths. After the controversy was finally settled 
by the infallible teaching body of the Church that 
truth was henceforth called a dogma, or an article 
of faith, and as such incorporated in the creed. 
Hence the Nicene Creed contains the special de- 
velopment of the doctrine of Christ's divinity, 
questioned by Arius, as well as the doctrine on the 
divinity of the Holy Ghost, at one time denied by 
Macedonius. It is called the Nicene Creed be- 
cause it was originally composed by the Council 
of Nice. It is sometimes also called the Creed 
of Constantinople because it was supplemented by 
the council which convened in that city. 

The Athanasian Creed, probably composed by 
Virgilius Tapsensis, emphasizes the doctrine of 
the Blessed Trinity. It has been approved by the 
Church. 

The Creed of the Council of Trent, usually 
called the Creed of Pius IV., makes special pro- 
fession of the doctrines denied by the apostates 
of the sixteenth century. It was later enlarged 
by the Vatican Council to include an explicit pro- 
fession of the infallibility of the Pope and the 
Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin 
Mary. 

The recitation of this Creed of Pius IV. consti- 
tutes the profession of faith which converts are 
required to make in our day. 



210 REVEALED RELIGION. 

Objections. 

1. Are the chief truths of revelation contained 
in the Apostles' Creed? — Yes. 

2. Why, then, make other Creeds? — To em- 
phasize particular truths. 

3. Is there a new revelation in our day? — 
There has been no public revelation since the days 
of the Apostles, and there will be none further. 

4. There certainly is a change of teaching 
since the time of the Apostles. — There is a de- 
velopment of doctrine but no new revelation. 

5. What do you mean by a development of doc- 
trine ? — A clearer comprehension of revealed truth. 

6. What is a dogma? — A truth defined by the 
Church as revealed and as such to be held by all 
the faithful. 

7. Was the Pope infallible before the Vatican 
Council? — The Pope was infallible since Christ 
made St. Peter, the first "Pope," the visible head 
of His Church. The Vatican Council merely set- 
tled a controversy on the subject. 

8. Why was this doctrine not defined earlier? 
— Because it was not seriously questioned earlier. 

19. The New Commandment. 
A new commandment was promulgated by Our 
Saviour at the Last Supper. It is called the law 
of Charity. Obedience was the test of fidelity in 
the Old Dispensation. In the New Law, where 
Christ made man free with the liberty of a child 
of God, charity is the distinctive mark of a true 



TEE EVANGELICAL COUNSELS. 211 

disciple. "I give you a new commandment," Baid 
the divine Master to His Apostles : "That you love 
one another, as I have loved you, that you also 
love one another. By this shall all men know that 
you are My disciples, if you have love for one 
another" (John xiii. 34, 35). Though the love 
of neighbor was inculcated in the Old Law (Levit. 
xix. 18), it was ignored on account of the corrup- 
tion and selfishness of the times and interpreted 
as, "Love thy friends and hate thy enemies." Jesus 
therefore called it new, (1) because He renewed 
it; (2) made it the distinguishing mark of His 
followers; and (3) proposed a new standard in its 
observance. 

The foundation of this love of neighbor is the 
love of God. "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God, 
with thy whole heart, and with thy whole soul, 
and with thy whole mind. This is the greatest 
and the first commandment. And the second is 
like to this? Thou shalt love thy neighbor as 
thyself" (Matt. xxii. 37, 39). The love of neigh- 
bor is the love of God in daily practice. Hence 
St. John declares, "If a man say, I love God, and 
hateth his neighbor, he is a liar" (1 John iv. 20). 
The characteristics of the love of God are gener- 
osity of disposition and fervor in action. These 
have their counterparts in the forbearance and 
benevolence of the love of neighbor. 

20. The Evangelical Counsels. 

The evangelical counsels were given by Our 



212 REVEALED RE LI GI OX. 

Lord as a guide to special perfection. They are 
called "evangelical" because they are recorded by 
the Evangelists. These divine counsels inculcate 
the practice of voluntary poverty, virginal chastity, 
and blind obedience out of love for God. They aim 
at a higher perfection than is required of the or- 
dinary faithful, give proportionately more security 
and earn a greater reward. 

The evangelical counsels are special remedies 
for three great sources of moral evil, called by 
St. John "the concupiscence of the flesh, the con- 
cupiscence of the eyes, and the pride of life" (1 
John ii. 16) . To overcome the concupiscence of the 
eyes perfectly, the Saviour counsels perpetual 
poverty, saying, "If thou wilt be perfect, go sell 
what thou hast, and give it to the poor, and thou 
shalt have a treasure in heaven" (Matt. xix. 20). 
To triumph perfectly over the concupiscence of 
the flesh, the Saviour counsels perpetual virginal 
chastity, adding, "Let him that can take, take it" 
(Matt. xix. 12). To subdue the pride of life per- 
fectly, the Saviour added the counsel of perpetual 
obedience in lawful things to a spiritual superior, 
saying, "Come, follow Me" (Matt. xix. 21). "My 
sheep know My voice and follow Me" (John x. 
27). By following these three counsels man gives 
to God all that he has and is. He gives God his 
earthly goods by the voluntary practice of poverty, 
his body by the practice of virginity, and his free 
will by the practice of holy obedience. 



TEE SACRAMENTS. 213 

21. The Sacraments. 

Sacraments are outward signs instituted by 
Jesus Christ to give grace. As God, Jesus Christ 
certainly could attach a spiritual grace to an ex- 
ternal sign. As the Kedeemer of mankind, He 
provided for all the special wants of man. Spir- 
itually man has seven special wants. Correspond- 
ing to these wants Christ has instituted seven 
sacraments. In Baptism, man is born to the 
spiritual life. In Confirmation, he is made a per- 
fect Christian. In the Holy Eucharist, his soul 
is nourished with the living Bread that came down 
from heaven. In Penance, he is cured of the 
wounds of sin. In Extreme Unction, he is pre- 
pared for his final journey into eternity. In Holy 
Orders, the priest of the New Law receives the 
power of ministering the mercies of God to man- 
kind. In Matrimony, Christian men and women 
are united in the marriage state and receive the 
grace to enable them to fulfil their particular obli- 
gations. 

Objections. 

1. The word "sacrament" does not occur in the 
Bible in this sense. — "What is there in a name?" 
The idea occurs in the Bible. The word is of later 
origin. 

2. Sacraments are signs of graces received. — 
There is no authority whatever for that assertion. 

3. Are they magical powers? — No; but the 



214 REVEALED RELIGION. 

power of God working through His chosen instru- 
ments. 

4. There are but two sacraments, Baptism and 
the Lord's Supper. — Jesus Christ instituted seven 
sacraments, as tradition and the Bible teach. 

5. Was the baptism of John a sacrament ? — No ; 
it was merely a sign of penance. 

6. Is the washing of feet a sacrament (John 
xiii. 4-10)? — No; it is only an act of humility 
and fraternal love. 

22. Practical Religion in Apostolic Times. 

The first followers of Jesus Christ were con- 
temptuously called Nazarenes by the Jews. The 
persecutions which began a few years after the 
death of the Saviour were the occasion of the scat- 
tering of Hifl disciples over the Roman Empire. 
For a long time they were regarded by the heathen 
world as a Jewish sect. At Antioch their enemies 
first called them Christians, that is, followers of 
the crucified One. 

The Apostles not only consoled and encouraged 
the faithful, but also made numerous converts by 
their ministrations and their preaching of "the 
glad tidings." Flourishing communities of faith- 
ful worshipers were soon formed in many places. 
For the persecutions, on the one hand, brought 
the new doctrine to the notice of the heathen 
world, and on the other hand, gave the faithful 
an opportunity of making sacrifices for the faith 
and thus inspiring others with a high idea of its 



RELIGION IN APOSTOLIC TIMES. 215 

exalted value. Many even sealed their faith in 
Christ with their heart's blood. Thus "the blood 
of the martyrs became the seed of new Christians." 
Wherever a new community was formed, the 
Apostles ordained pious men to continue their 
work by teaching, governing, and ministering to 
the faithful. 

The first Christians confessed "Jesus Christ 
as the Son of God," and accepted as His teaching 
whatsoever was proposed to them as such by the 
Apostles. They not only observed the moral law 
of Moses, but also kept "the New Commandment" 
of their Master so well that the heathens said of 
them, "See how those Christians love one an- 
other." The first Christians of Jerusalem aimed 
even at the fulfilment of the evangelical counsels. 
For as soon as they joined the Church they sold 
their property and brought the price of the same 
to the Apostles, whom they obeyed in all things. 
In Apostolic times the faithful not only assisted 
at "the celebration of the holy mysteries," but 
also received holy communion daily. They made 
great sacrifices for the faith and spent much time 
in private devotion. Thus "they sought first the 
kingdom of God and His justice and confidently 
trusted that God would add all other things unto 
them." 

At the death of the last Apostle, about the close 
of the first century, there were flourishing Chris- 
tian communities throughout the Eoman Empire. 
All professed the same faith, observed the same 



216 REVEALED RELIGION. 

law, received the same sacraments, were governed 
by their lawful pastor and acknowledged the su- 
preme authority of the successor of St. Peter as 
the vicar of Christ on earth. 



PAET III. 
THE TRUE RELIGION OF TO-DAY. 



I. The Catholic Eeligion of To-day the 
Tkue Eeligion of Jesus Cheist. 

i. There Must Be a True Religion To-day. 

We have seen that the true Eeligion must not 
only harmonize with the dictates of right reason, 
but especially conform to all the prescriptions of 
divine authority. "The True Eeligion of To- 
day" must of necessity, therefore, be "the re- 
ligion of Eeason and Authority." Thus far we 
have considered the teaching of right reason on 
Eeligion, and carefully studied the forms of Ee- 
ligion established by almighty God. There must 
still be a true Eeligion to-day. For, on the one 
hand, the universal nature of truth prevents truth 
from being universally supplanted by error, and 
on the other hand, God desires the salvation of all 
mankind. On this account, Jesus Christ estab- 
lished a Eeligion for all "of good will," of all 
nations, and all people even to the end of time. 
When He organized His followers into a Church, 



218 THE TRUE RELIGION OF TO-DAY. 

He promised that the gates of hell should not 
prevail against her. He not only promised to be 
with His Church, even to the consummation of 
the world, but also gave her the Holy Ghost to 
guide her infallibly in the way of holiness and 
truth. Jesus Christ has certainly kept His word. 
The Holy Ghost has not been unfaithful to His 
trust. The true Eeligion and the true Church 
must, therefore, still exist to-day. In fact, the 
God-Man said His Church was like a city built 
upon a mountain, visible from afar. Let us, then, 
institute a diligent search till we find that Church 
which teaches "the True Religion of To-day." 
That Religion and that Church must be essential- 
ly the same as the one established by Jesus Christ. 
If we are really "of practical good will" we must 
succeed with the help of God's grace. We can 
then, even at this remote date, easily pay God the 
debt of Religion as He has prescribed, and thereby 
sanctify ourselves and earn a great reward in 
heaven. 

2. In What Does the True Religion of To-day 
Consist? 

The true Religion of to-day must consist in the 
practice of the divine virtues of Faith, Hope and 
Charity, as prescribed by Jesus Christ. Religion 
is not of human origin. It comes from God. He 
entered into a relationship with man. He bound 
man to live in accordance with that relationship. 
He, the Lord and Master, the infallible Truth, has 



BASIS OF THE TRUE RELIGION. 219 

spoken; man must accept His word, His entire 
revelation of faith. He, the infinite Goodness, 
has promised man life eternal and the means of 
obtaining it; man must hope in the promise of 
Him "who can neither deceive nor be deceived." 
He, the God of infinite majesty and goodness, 
has loved man with an eternal love and demands 
the love of man. Man is bound to love God and 
prove his love by keeping the commandments. 

The fourfold debt of Eeligion — adoration, 
thanksgiving, prayer, and reparation — is not only 
adequately paid by the practice of divine Faith, 
Hope, and Charity, but it cannot be satisfactorily 
paid in any other way. For the debt of Eeligion 
must be paid as God has prescribed. Divine Faith 
alone tells man all that God has prescribed. Then, 
the debt of Eeligion must be paid with the help of 
God's grace. Divine Hope alone gives man the 
means of obtaining that grace. Finally, the debt 
of Eeligion must be paid at the time, in the place 
and in the manner prescribed by Christ and His 
Church. Divine Charity alone can enable man 
to fulfil "the entire law/' Hence, only by divine 
Faith , Hope, and Charity can man pay God 
the debt of Eeligion as he ought. Thus alone can 
man adore and thank God, ask His pardon and 
implore His help in a way that will infallibly 
find favor with God. Hence St. Paul rightly 
said, "There now remain Faith, Hope, and 
Charity, these three, but the greatest of these is 
Charity" (1 Cor. xiii. 13). 



220 TEE TRUE RELIGION OF TO-DAY. 

Divine Faith, Hope, and Charity not only make 
man the adopted child of God, but also enable him 
to be divine in mind, in heart and in action. There 
is a twofold view of life, the view of God and the 
view of the world. Faith enables man to consider 
life from the eternal, immutable standpoint of 
God. There are also two motive powers in life, 
the love of God and the love of self. Divine Faith 
and Hope enable man to act out of love for God. 
Every concrete human act is either in accordance 
with the law of God or contrary to it. Divine 
Charity enables man to fulfil the entire law by 
"loving God with his whole heart and soul, with 
all his mind and strength, and loving his neighbor 
as himself for the love of God." 

Life is a time of merit. Man can either seek 
his reward in the honors, riches and pleasures of 
life or strive after the eternal reward of heaven. 
Faith, Hope, and Charity enable him to direct every 
thought of his mind, every desire of his heart, 
every action of his life to God as his final end 
and thus lay up "treasures which neither the rust 
nor the moths can destroy, which cannot be dug 
up and stolen by thieves." In so far as man allows 
his mind to be influenced by Faith, he becomes 
religious in mind. In so far as his heart is actu- 
ated by Hope and Charity, is man religious at heart. 
And only in so far as he directs his actions to God, 
out of love for God, according to His holy will, 
is man religious in his daily life. 



WHICH 18 THE TRUE CHURCH? 221 

Objections. 

1. True Religion consists in doing what is 
right. — Faith tells man what is right. Hope urges 
him to do the right, and Charity enables him to 
fulfil the entire law. 

2. Religion consists in being a member of a 
church. — Church membership alone will save no 
one. We must be practical members of the one 
true Church which Christ has established. 

3. Religion consists in going to church on Sun- 
days. — Church-going is not sanctification. Re- 
ligion is not a Sunday garment. It must trans- 
form man into a child of God before he can be 
with God in heaven. 

3. Which is the True Church To-day? 

The Catholic Church is the one true Church 
to-day. The Catholic Church is the Church, which 
Jesus Christ established. To her He said in the 
person of the Apostles, "Behold, I am with you 
unto the end of time." Of her He predicted, "The 
gates of hell shall not prevail against her." The 
Catholic Church is the congregation of all those 
who profess the faith of Christ, partake of the 
same sacraments and are governed by their lawful 
pastors under one visible head. In other words, the 
Catholic Church is a society composed of persons 
who practice the divine virtues of Faith, Hope, 
and Charity. Catholics believe all that Christ 
has taught. They are guided in their belief by 



222 THE TRUE RELIGION OF TO-DAY. 

the infallible teaching of the Church directed by 
the Holy Ghost, and not their personal likes or 
fallible judgment. Catholics profess their hope 
in God by daily prayer and the use of the seven 
sacraments which Christ instituted. Catholics 
profess their love for God by living in obedience 
to His holy will as interpreted by His Church. 
In preferring obedience to self-will they are mind- 
ful of the Saviour's words. "If you love Me, keep 
My commandments." 

The identity of the Catholic Church with the 
Church of Christ and the Apostles may be clearly 
6een from a triple point of view. It may be recog- 
nized by the identity of age, of doctrine and of 
government. Father Poland presents the historic 
view very clearly. His argument may be briefly 
stated thus: We are now living in the twentieth 
century of the Christian era. If we retrace the 
progress of ages back to the days of Christ, we 
shall find that century after century has produced 
its religious societies. Of all these, only one, the 
Catholic Church, dates back to the days of Christ. 
Hence the Catholic Church must be the Church of 
Christ and the Apostles. 

The doctrinal view is just as clearly given by 
Cardinal Gibbons. "The Catholic Church," says 
this distinguished prelate, "alone teaches doctrines 
which are in all respects identical with the first 
teaching of the Gospel." Hence the Catholic 
Church must be the true Church to-day. The 
third view is well stated in "Catholic Belief." as 



WHICH 18 THE TRUE CHURCH? 223 

follows: "The true Church of to-day must be 
governed by an unbroken succession of pastors, 
who, from the time of the Apostles down to the 
present day, have been rightly ordained, lawfully 
sent, and who in succession have taught the same 
unchanging doctrines." The Catholic Church 
alone claims and proves her right to this distinc- 
tion. Pius X. is the 258th vicar of Christ on 
earth. No one will dare to question the ordina- 
tion, mission or succession of the Church which 
he governs. The Catholic Church of to-day is, 
therefore, the continuation of the Church founded 
by Christ on the Apostles. 

Objections. 

1. You seem to imply that there can be but 
one true Church to-day. — Yes, with St. Paul we 
emphatically assert, "One Lord, one Faith, one 
Baptism." 

2. Every church is the true Church to-day. — 
That assertion is sometimes made by dishonest, but 
oftener by thoughtless persons. It is not only 
contrary to Scripture, but also an outrage on com- 
mon sense. 

3. What, then, is the right idea of the branch 
theory? — The Catholic Church is the tree which 
has grown from a tiny mustard seed into the 
mighty tree of life. During the lapse of ages 
some branches have died on this tree and fallen 
off or have been cut off by the Lord's gardener. 



224 THE TRUE RELIGION OF TO-DAY. 

Scripture says that dead branches are good only 
to burn. 

4. How, then, can an honest non-Catholic be 
saved? — Every honest person prays and observes 
God's law as far as he knows it. Prayer will pro- 
cure for every honest non-Catholic the grace to do 
God's holy will. 

4. The Mission of the Catholic Church the 
Mission of the Apostles. 

The Catholic Church continues the mission on 
which Christ sent His Apostles. To the Apostles 
Christ said, "All power is given Me in heaven and 
on earth. As the Father hath sent Me, so I send 
you. Go ye, therefore, teach all nations, baptiz- 
ing them in the name of the Father, and of the 
Son, and of the Holy Ghost, teaching them to ob- 
serve whatsoever I have commanded you. For, 
behold I am with you to the consummation of the 
world." At the Ascension of Our Saviour there 
were but 500 disciples in Galilee and about 125 
in Judea. At the death of the last Apostle 
(about A. D. 100) there were many faithful 
throughout the Roman Empire. 

Fifty years before that date the gigantic strug- 
gle between the Catholic Church and the might- 
iest of empires had begun. For two hundred 
years more the Church was persecuted in a way 
that would have overthrown any human institu- 
tion. But the Catholic Church is divine. She 
saw ten milions of her children lay down their 



MISSION OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH. 225 

lives for the Faith. And now, when she had 
triumphed over paganism, she was more vigorous 
and her children more numerous than ever. In- 
deed, as Tertullian said, "the blood of the 
martyrs was the seed of Christians." 

JJuring the next three hundred years the Cath- 
olic Church preached "the glad tidings of salva- 
tion" in Europe, Asia, and Africa. All western 
Asia as far as India was brought under the in- 
fluence of the Gospel. In Europe, Ireland, Eng- 
land and Scotland entered the one true fold. In 
the meantime, however, southern Europe and 
northern Africa became the battlefield of the bar- 
barian hordes that came like swarms of locusts 
from the north and the east. Gradually even these 
yielded to the superhuman influence of the Cath- 
olic Church, so that at the close of the tenth century 
all Europe, excepting the northeastern portion, 
acknowledged the Catholic Church as the Mother 
of nations. In the following centuries all Scan- 
dinavia was converted. The Gospel was also 
preached with success to the Eussians, but it was 
less favorably received by the Moors of Asia and 
Africa. 

In the fifteenth century, zeal for the true Ee- 
ligion prompted Columbus to his voyage of discov- 
ery. America opened a new field to the mission- 
aries of the Catholic Church. While the Indian 
tribes of South America, Mexico, California, and 
Canada were enlightened and civilized by Catholic 
missionaries, other apostolic men, under the leader- 



226 THE TRUE RELIGION OF TO-DAY. 

ship of St. Francis Xavier, preached the Gospel in 
India, China, and Japan. In the meantime, how- 
ever, pride caused the people of Greece and Asia 
Minor to throw off the yoke of Christ. In the 
fifteenth century these people became the slaves 
of the inhuman Turks. 

In northern Europe avarice and sensuality also 
prompted men of influence to leave the Catholic 
Church. These forced their subjects by rewards 
and persecutions to apostatize. Materialism and 
infidelity have in consequence increased in Europe 
in proportion as the influence of the Catholic 
Church has been counteracted. At the present 
time, however, there are evident signs of a spiritual 
re-awakening all over the world. For, on the one 
hand, the human heart is naturally religious; on 
the other hand, the human mind when not blinded 
by passion and prejudice cannot help seeing the 
truth of the Catholic Church. That Church, as 
the Saviour said, is like a city built upon a moun- 
tain. Its divinity is evident from afar. 

Objections. 

1. Haven't non-Catholic missionaries also con- 
verted nations? — No; they have not and cannot. 
No one can give what he does not possess. Non- 
Catholic nations have forfeited the spiritual prin- 
ciple. By their separation from the Church they 
have separated from Christ, who is the Head of the 
Catholic Church, as St. Paul says. By degrees 
they lost even the appearance of Eeligion. They 



THE AUTHORITY OF THE CHURCH. 227 

are drifting into downright agnosticism, social- 
ism, and infidelity. Their missionaries have had 
the opportunity of converting the Indians in the 
United States. They have exterminated them in- 
stead. Facts, moreover, show that their mission- 
aries of the Sandwich Islands, Japan, China, and 
Turkey have never been more than the advance 
agents of commerce and material civilization. In- 
stead of leading a life of self-denial and fraternal 
charity, they live in comfort on the lavish funds 
sent them by missionary societies in Europe and 
America. Their missionaries in Ireland, Italy, 
Cuba, Porto Eico, and the Philippines, on the 
other hand, have never tried to do more than rob 
the faithful Catholics of the consolation of their 
holy Religion. 

5. The Authority of the Catholic Church the 
Authority of Jesus Christ. 

The Catholic Church claims and exercises the 
same divine authority which Christ delegated to 
the Apostles. As a governing power the United 
States is the same as after the War of Indepen- 
dence. So the Catholic Church of to-day is the 
same as the Church founded by Christ on the 
Apostles. The President of the United States has 
the same executive, power as Washington exercised 
more than a century ago. So the Pope of the Cath- 
olic Church has the same authority as Christ con- 
ferred upon St. Peter. President Roosevelt is the 
twenty-fifth successor of Washington. Pope Pius X. 



228 THE TRUE RELIGION OF TO-DAY. 

is the 257th lawful successor of St. Peter as 
Christ's vicar on earth. 

Some forty years ago the Southern States tried 
to secede from the Union, but failed. If they had 
been successful the Southern people could evident- 
ly no longer claim any rights as citizens of the 
United States. Some four hundred years ago the 
rulers of northern Europe seceded from the divine 
Church which Christ established. They then in- 
stituted various state-churches by force of arms. 
These original state-churches have since broken 
up into hundreds of denominations. Evidently 
these denominations have no authority from God, 
but only from men. Equally evident is it that 
their members as such share in no way in the rights 
which members of the Catholic Church possess. 
For to the Catholic Church alone did Christ say, 
"Behold I am with you to the consummation of 
the world" (Matt, xxviii. 20). 

Objections. 

1. Have non-Catholic churches no authority? — 
They have only human authority. 

2. But they can teach! — Not in the name of 
God. "How shall they preach unless they be 
sent?" (Rom. x. 15). 

3. Non-Catholic ministers are sent ! — They are 
sent by men who have no authority from Christ. 

4. Non-Catholic bishops claim to have divine 
authority ! — To claim it is one thing, to make 
good their claim another. They may impose on the 



THE INFALLIBILITY OF THE CHURCH. 229 

ignorant; but they cannot prove Apostolic succes- 
sion. 

6. The Infallibility of the Catholic Church 
the Infallibility of the Holy Ghost. 

The Catholic Church teaches with divine infalli- 
bility in matters of faith and morals. If the 
Catholic Church were a merely human institution 
she could make as many mistakes and changes as 
non-Catholic churches. But the Catholic Church 
is divine. She is not only divine in her origin 
but also divine in her guidance. Christ wanted 
her to be an infallible guide to all mankind "of 
good will." He owed this to Himself as well as 
to His work. Hence He gave the Church the un- 
erring guidance of the Holy Ghost. This infalli- 
bility which was exercised by Christ and His im- 
mediate successor has been claimed and exercised 
by every succeeding vicar of Christ on earth. So 
plainly was this divine prerogative understood and 
recognized that for nearly nineteen hundred years 
it was never seriously doubted by any practical 
member of the Church. Hence it was declared a 
dogma of faith only in 1870. 

Objections. 

1. It is presumption to assert the infallibility 
of the Catholic Church. — The very nature of a 
divine Church is that of an infallible guide to man. 
History shows that the Catholic Church has been 
such. For during the course of centuries she has 



230 THE TRUE RELIGION OF TO-DAY. 

never been called on to retract her teaching of faith 
and morals. 

2. Such infallibility is degrading and opposed 
to liberty of thought. — God's aid to man is en- 
couraging and ennobling, like the aid a parent gives 
to a child. 

3. Infallibility in Religion is spiritual despot- 
ism. — Xo more than the Creation or Redemption 
of mankind. 

4. The reformers freed us from this despotism. 
—Alas, "Can the blind lead the blind?" (Luke vi. 
39.) 

5. I can follow Christ without your infallible 
guide. — "The beginning of the pride of man is to 
fall off from God" (Eccl. x. 14). 

6. How can we be sure of Christ's teaching 
at this remote date? — Only through the infallible 
teaching of the one true Church which He has 
established. 

7. What, then, keeps so many non-Catholics 
from accepting this infallible guide ? — The bad ex- 
ample of worthless Catholics, human respect, preju- 
dice, indifference, and "the concupiscence of the 
flesh, the concupiscence of the eyes, and the pride 
of life" (St. John). 

7. The Perpetuity of the Catholic Church 
Proves Her Divinity. 

The Catholic Church has steadily grown from 
the days of Christ. She is destined to exist to the 
end of time. We read in history of the Egyptians, 



THE PERPETUITY OF TEE CHURCH. 231 

the Babylonians, the Persians, the Greeks, the 
Eomans, and of other human empires that were 
founded, defended and destroyed by the sword. 
The Catholic Church alone was founded by God's 
love for man. This spiritual kingdom of Christ 
is sustained by the Holy Ghost in all vicissitudes. 
After the lapse of nineteen centuries, the Catholic 
Church is better organized, respected, loved and 
obeyed, and by more subjects, than ever before. 
The Eoman Empire could not prevent her estab- 
lishment. Arianism, Nestorianism, and Protest- 
antism could not check her development. Modern 
inventions aid in propagating her doctrine and 
bring her members into closer union with their 
head. Modern research, stimulated by her foster- 
ing care, discloses her as the ancient custodian of 
God's eternal truth. True liberty is her gift, be- 
cause it is her heritage. She has freed mankind 
from the slavery of ignorance and the oppression 
of tyranny. While making man free with the 
liberty of a child of God, the Catholic Church has 
herself never been enslaved by any human power. 
Being divine in her origin and life, the Catholic 
Church participates in the perpetuity of the God- 
head that animates her. Thus she goes on from 
age to age preaching, "Glory to God in the highest 
and on earth peace to men of good will/' She not 
only shows man the way to union with God, but 
actually effects that uniou in all "of good will/' 
"The gates of hell shall not prevail against her," 
said the divine Founder, "for behold I am with 



232 THE TRIE RELIGION OF TO-DAY. 

you all days even to the consummation of the 
world" (Matt, xxviii. 20). 

Objections. 

1. Everybody knows that the Church of Christ 
has ceased to exist. — That assertion could be made 
only by a person influenced by prejudice and liv- 
ing in ignorance of history. It is blasphemous to 
assert that Christ did not keep His word or that 
the Holy Ghost was unfaithful to His trust. 

2. Did not Luther and Henry VIII. reform the 
Church? — No, they did not. God never chooses 
lustful men, as these were, to reform His work. 

8. Unity a Mark of the Catholic Church. 

The Catholic Church was always one in faith, 
one in communion and worship, and one in govern- 
ment. The Catholic Filipinos, who had a chapel 
and a native priest at the World's Fair in St. 
Louis, believed the same truths which the Catholics 
of the United States hold dear. They love the 
same faith for which the Irish people have been 
persecuted by England, the same faith for which 
millions of martyrs died during the Roman per- 
secutions. 

The same form of worship prevails in St. Peter's 
in Eome as in the humblest chapel on the western 
plains. The same sacraments are administered to 
the poorest of God's poor and to the richest Cath- 
olic to-day as in Apostolic times. As in days of 
old, the faithful throughout the world are now sub- 



UNITY A MARK OF THE CHURCH. 233 

ject to their pastors, who are placed over them 
by their bishops. The pastors obey their bishops 
appointed for them by the Holy Father. The whole 
Catholic world of more than 250 millions of souls 
acknowledges and obeys the Pope, the Bishop of 
Rome, as the successor of St. Peter and the vicar 
of Christ on earth. 

Objections. 

1. The Catholic Church has new dogmas. — 
Yes, but not new revelations, as some non-Catholics 
pretend to have. A revealed truth becomes "a 
dogma" when the infallible Church of Christ de- 
clares that it must J)e held by all her members. 

2. Why do you have seven sacraments, when 
non-Catholics have only one, two or three? — Bet- 
ter ask them why they have but one, two or three, 
when Christ instituted seven sacraments. 

3. Doesn't an educated Catholic believe more 
than an ignorant one? — ~No; his knowledge is 
more explicit, but his faith is the same. 

4. Why don't non-Catholics have the Mass? — 
Because they refuse to worship God as He has 
prescribed. 

5. I think every state should be supreme in 
religious matters. — So you would subject creed, 
sacraments, and heaven itself to ward-politics? 

6. Your faith is often opposed to science. — 
There can never be any opposition between divine 
revelation and real science. In either case truth 
comes from God. 



234 TEE TRUE RELIGION OF TODAY. 

7. Stick to essentials; don't mind details.— 
Christ said, "Teach all things whatsoever I have 
told you." 

8. Charity suffices for a bond of union. — 
"Without faith it is impossible to please God" 
(Hebr. xi. 6). 

9. You may have as many as three Popes at the 
same time. — In doubtful elections there may be 
several claimants, but only one legitimate Pope. 

10. Non-Catholic churches are branches of the 
one true Church. — The one true Church does not 
acknowledge branches which have been cut off as 
dead. 

9. Holiness a Mark of the Catholic Church. 
"Holy" means pleasing in the sight of God. 
The Catholic Church has a holy Founder, a holy 
doctrine, invites all mankind to a holy life, and 
gives to all "of good will" abundant means of be- 
coming very holy, or pleasing in the sight of God. 
The Founder of the Catholic Church is not a mere 
man. He is the God-Man, Jesus Christ. The 
doctrine, so opposed to the natural craving of the 
animal man, is the expression of God's holy will 
for all who hope for heaven. The Catholic Church 
can point with pride to her countless clergy and 
other religious men and women, who devote them- 
selves to the service of God and the welfare of 
their neighbor. Thousands of her children in 
every age have left home and kindred to practise 
the corporal and spiritual works of mercy in a 



HOLINESS A MARK OF THE CHURCH. 235 

heroic degree. Having the infinite merits of 
Christ at her disposal, the Catholic Church not 
only points out the way to heaven, but guards the 
innocent, sustains the weak, and raises the fallen. 
She alone can give divine assurance of super- 
natural holiness during life and eternal happiness 
after death. 

Objections. 

1. How can a holy Church have wicked mem- 
bers ? — How can a good family have a black sheep ? 
The wickedness of the individual results from his 
perverse will, not from the Church. Was there not 
a traitor among the Apostles? 

2. Why not excommunicate the bad members? 
— The mercy of God permits the good seed to grow 
with the bad seed till the time of harvest (Matt, 
xiii. 24-50). The Church is the agent of God's 
mercy. 

3. Why has the Catholic Church produced so 
many ex-priests? — Perhaps to furnish founders 
for new non-Catholic denominations. The worst 
Catholics leave the Church, while the best non- 
Catholics eventually find their way into the 
Church. 

4. Why has the Catholic Church so many ig- 
norant and poor? — To preach the Gospel to them 
and elevate them as she has done with others and 
alone can do. One sign of the true Church is that 
she preaches the Gospel to the poor. 

5. Why does the Catholic Church require no 



236 TEE TRUE RELIGION OF TO-DAY. 

moral character as qualification for membership? 
— "The Catholic Church," says Father Conway, 
"is not a social club for the elite." She is the sanc- 
tifier of all "of good will." Christ said He came 
not to call the just, but sinners (Matt. ix. 13). 

10. Universality a Mark of the Catholic Church. 

The Catholic Church is not limited in her juris- 
diction by territory, nation or continent. She iB 
universal. Her members are in every part of the 
world. Though scattered far and wide, they are 
united by the profession of the same faith, the 
practice of the same worship, the reception of the 
same sacraments, and live in obedience to their 
divinely constituted head. 

The Jewish Church of old was national. The 
reformers, a few centuries ago, tried to establish 
their particular denominations as national church- 
es, but met with poor success. God alone could 
and did establish that one universal kingdom on 
earth, the holy Catholic Church. Sects or denom- 
inations may claim to be Catholic, or universal, 
but their claim will ever be without foundation. 

Objections. 

1. Is not every Christian church Catholic? — 
Evidently not. 

2. Your Church is the RomaD Catholic. — The 
Jews called us Xazarenes, the Romans called us 
Christians, the reformers called us Romans, the 



APOSTOLICITY OF THE CHURCH. 237 

Gallicans called us Ultramontanes, but truth 
shows us alone to be Catholic, or universal. 

3. There is the Greek Catholic Church, the 
Anglican Catholic Church, the Eussian — Tut! 
Tut! These so-called churches are not in com- 
munion with the Catholic Church. 

4. Non-Catholics are spreading the Bible 
everywhere. — That does not make them Catholic. 

ii. Apostolicity a Mark of the Catholic 
Church. 

The Catholic Church is Apostolic in a threefold 
sense: she was founded by Christ on the Apos- 
tles ; she has always taught the doctrine proclaimed 
by the Apostles; history shows that the Apostles 
ordained bishops and priests to continue the 
work intrusted to them by Christ. These in turn 
ordained and commissioned others. For nineteen 
centuries this Apostolic work has been taken up 
and handed down from successor to successor. To- 
day Pope Pius X. is the 258th lawful vicar of 
Christ on earth. With very little trouble any one 
can convince himself that the doctrine of the 
Apostles, as summed up in the Apostles' Creed, 
has ever been taught by the Catholic Church down 
to the present time. History shows, moreover, 
that whenever some bad Catholic or some non- 
Catholic denied any truth contained in that creed 
or directly flowing from it the Catholic Church 
always defined that truth without regard for tem- 
poral consequences. She was ever faithful to the 



238 THE TRUE RELIGION OF TO-DAY. 

divine command to teach all nations to observe 
whatsoever Christ has commanded her (Matt, 
xxviii. 19, 20). 

Objections. 

1. Non-Catholics claim Apostolic succession. — 
But history repudiates their claim. 

2. Episcopalians resemble Catholics. — Appear- 
ances may be deceiving. 

3. Luther restored the Apostolic Church. — 
Only ignorance and prejudice would dare make 
6uch an assertion. 

4. Charity and zeal are the criterion of Apos- 
tolic succession. — And yet St. Paul dares ask, 
"How shall they preach unless they be sent?" 
(Rom. x. 15). 

12. The Necessity of the Catholic Church. 

The Catholic Church is the only agency insti- 
tuted by Jesus Christ to guide man to heaven. The 
Catholic Church is, therefore, by divine AVill 
necessary for the salvation of mankind. God is 
the Lord and Master. Heaven is His home. He 
certainly has a right to specify the conditions on 
which He will be pleased to admit man to heaven. 
He insists on man's being a member of His Church : 
"If any one will not hear the Church," He says, 
"let him be to thee as the heathen and the publican" 
(Matt, xviii. 1?). The Catholic Church is 
the only authorized agency to bring man to 
heaven. She alone is infallibly guided by the Holy 



NECESSITY OF THE CHURCH. 239 

Ghost in teaching faith and morals. She alone is 
the dispenser of Christ's merits. Therefore "he 
that believeth her not shall be condemned" (Mark 
xvi. 16). 

Objections, 

1. Does the Catholic Church claim a monopoly 
on salvation? — At any rate, she alone can show 
that she has received the keys of heaven (Matt, 
xvi. 19). 

2. Do you teach that outside your Church there 
is no salvation? — "If any one will not hear the 
Church, let him be to thee as the heathen and the 
publican." 

3. Do all Catholics go to heaven? — No; only 
those who have the good will to go there. 

4. Are all pagans doomed to hell? — "The just 
Judge of the living and the dead" has not made 
known His judgment. 

5. Will sincere non-Catholics be saved? — "Not 
every one that saith to Me, Lord, Lord, shall enter 
the kingdom of heaven; but he that doth the will 
of My Father who is in heaven, he shall enter the 
kingdom of heaven" (Matt. vii. 21). 

6. Can't I be saved outside the Catholic 
Church? — If your ignorance of the Church's 
claims is so inculpable that with all your sincerity, 
honesty, and good will you do not see the truth, 
your condition is your misfortune more than your 
fault. If you then pray, have perfect sorrow for 
your sins and are ready to do God's will, with St. 



240 THE TRUE RELIGION OF TODAY. 

Paul, you belong to the Church at heart and 
can thus be saved. 

13. Who is a Catholic ? 

A Catholic is a member of the Church which 
Christ has established. That Church is the mysti- 
cal body of Christ. As the living mystical body 
of Christ, the Church has a material part — the vis- 
ible members — and a spiritual part — the Holy 
Ghost. A person may belong to one of or both 
these parts. A person who has been baptized but 
is living in sin is a material member, but is spir- 
itually dead. On the other hand, a person may as 
yet be ignorant of the true Church and already 
serve God according to his lights by faith, hope, 
and charity. He is then a member of the soul but 
not of the visible body of the Church. Again, a 
person may be baptized and live as a practical 
Catholic, serving God in faith, hope, charity. 
This one is a perfect member of the Catholic 
Church. 

When a child is baptized it at once becomes a 
perfect member of Christ's mystical body, or a 
perfect Catholic. Through its sponsors it pro- 
fesses the faith and thus becomes a visible mem- 
ber. By the grace of Baptism it is washed from 
sin, enriched with supernatural virtue and thus 
becomes a pleasing tabernacle of the Holy Ghost. 
With an adult person it is not so easy to become a 
perfect Catholic. He may have committed sin, 
formed bad habits and thus become the willing 



THE POPE ST. PETER'S SUCCESSOR. 241 

enemy of God. If he has done wrong, he must 
sincerely repent and turn to God with all his heart. 
As faith, the foundation of the spiritual life, is a 
free gift of God, an adult person must pray for the 
gift of faith. To this gift, when sought by fervent 
prayer, God adds the gift of hope, and at times 
even the gift of charity, before Baptism. In con- 
sequence of this goodness of God an adult person 
may be a Catholic at heart, or belong to the soul 
of the Church, before he becomes a visible member 
by profession of faith and Baptism. A baptized 
child always remains a perfect Catholic till it ar- 
rives at the use of reason. But an adult person 
may cease to be a living Catholic at any time. His 
soul may die the death of mortal sin. He may 
even cease being a Catholic entirely, by formally 
renouncing the faith and apostatizing from the 
Church. 

14. The Pope the Successor of St. Peter. 

It is a historical fact that St.Peter established 
himself at Eome A. D. 42. This fact is so evident, 
says Father Conway, that all historians admit it. 
The present Pope Pius X. is the 257th lawful suc- 
cessor of St. Peter. Up to the time of the Eefor- 
mation no one ever questioned the fact that St. 
Peter labored and died in Eome. Since then not 
a single author of any consequence has hesitated 
to accept it, as Father Livius proves. Only under 
the stress of controversy has this fact ever been 
questioned. There have been 258 Popes from St. 



242 THE TRUE RELIGION OF TO-DAY. 

Peter to Pius X. Of these, says Father Lambert, 
33 were martyred for the faith and 82 are venerated 
as saints. One hundred and four were born in 
Rome, 105 in other places of Italy. Fifteen were 
French, 8 Greek, 7 German, 5 Asiatics, 3 Africans, 
3 Spaniards, 2 Dalmatians, 1 Hebrew, 1 Thracian, 
1 Hollander, 1 Portuguese, 1 Candiot, and 1 Eng- 
lishman. Nine Popes have reigned less than one 
month, 30 less than one year, 11 more than 20 
years, and 7 more than 23 years. 

15. The Primacy of the Pope the Primacy of 
Peter. 

The Pope as the successor of St. Peter is the 
vicar of Christ and the visible head of the one 
true Church. By divine right he possesses not 
only the primacy of honor or distinction, but also 
of authority or jurisdiction. "No government can 
exist without a head," aptly says Bishop Stang, 
"no society can be called well-regulated without 
a presiding officer." How much more does the 
Catholic Church, the greatest society on earth, 
need a head for its government and welfare? 
"Pope," from the Italian "papa," means Father. 
It cannot be denied that the Pope is universally 
recognized as "the Father of Christendom," suc- 
cessor of St. Peter and vicar of Christ in our day. 
To the student of history it is equally evident that 
every Pope who succeeded St. Peter as head of the 
Catholic Church claimed, exercised, and was uni- 
versally acknowledged as possessing the primacy of 



INFALLIBILITY OF THE POPE. 243 

authority or jurisdiction as the vicar of Jesus 
Christ on earth. 

Objections. 

1. Christ is the Head of the Church. — Yes. 
Christ is the invisible Head who acts through His 
visible vicar, the Pope. 

2. History tells us that at times there were sev- 
eral Popes at the same time. — History rather says 
that at times the papal elections were doubtful, 
and at other times ambitious temporal princes pro- 
claimed some favorite as Pope regardless of the 
election. These rivals were called anti-popes. 

16. The Infallibility of the Pope the Pre- 
rogative of Peter. 

As the lawful successor of St. Peter, the Pope 
is infallible when he teaches a doctrine of faith 
or morals to be held by all the faithful. At other 
times he acts merely in his private capacity and 
is not infallible. We have seen above that Jesus 
Christ safeguarded the authority which He dele- 
gated to His Church, by placing that Church under 
the guidance of the Holy Ghost. "The Holy 
Ghost, the Spirit of truth, will remain with you 
to the end of time" (John xiv. 16-26). 

The Church is composed of a teaching body and 
of the faithful as believers. Through the guidance 
of the Holy Ghost the teaching body becomes in- 
fallible in teaching and the faithful in believing. 
This infallibility resides essentially in the Pope 



244 TEE TRUE RELIGION OF TO-DAY. 

as chief teacher and vicar of Jesus Christ. He is 
the center of unity and the source of authority. 
Bishops, priests, and faithful enjoy the guidance 
of the Holy Ghost only in so far as they are in 
harmony and comniunion with the Pope as head. 
This is the reason of that saying which has come 
down to us from the first centuries, "Where Peter 
is, there is the Church." 

Objections. 

1. Was St. Peter an infallible teacher? — Cer- 
tainly. No one has ever questioned it. 

2. Do you mean to say the Pope can't sin ? — No ; 
that is impeccability. That was asserted only by 
the reformers and a few others who left the Catho- 
lic Church. 

3. Is infallibility necessary for Christ's vicar? — 
Certainly. "The spiritual court must be infallible 
to be final," says Archbishop Ryan. "What su- 
premacy is in the temporal, that infallibility is in 
the spiritual order." Without the infallibility of 
the Pope we can have no divine certainty of the 
way or of the means of salvation. 

17. The Testimony of Ages. 

The testimony of ages points out the Catholic 
Church of to-day as the Church established by 
Jesus Christ. If we follow the true Church down 
the stream of time from the Apostles to our own 
day, we shall come upon three important truths, 
viz. : (1) that the Catholic Church alone Christian- 



THE TESTIMONY OF AGES. 245 

ized people; (2) that her doctrine and practice 
have always been consistent; (3) that the schis- 
matics and heretics of succeeding ages always intro- 
duced novelties of discipline, and doctrine at vari- 
ance with the teaching and practice of the Church. 

That the Catholic Church alone Christianized 
people, is a truth self-evident to every student of 
history. Now, if the Catholic Church universally 
succeeded in "teaching all nations," while other re- 
ligious societies universally fail, the natural con- 
clusion is, that the "God who giveth the increase" 
is still with the Catholic Church. Besides, if the 
Catholic Church succeeds in her mission, in spite 
of all opposition, under material disadvantages, she 
evidently must be that Church founded by Christ 
on Peter, against which not even "the gates of hell" 
will ever prevail. 

History daily shows to the world not only the 
consistency but also the unity and harmony of the 
Catholic Church. Her enemies have slandered her. 
They have slandered her for generations. The 
"Testimony of Ages," however, is vindicating her 
before the world by showing her as she really is. 
As "the master of the house" said in the parable 
of the laborers in the vineyard, so the Catholic 
Church says by her patient forbearance to every 
enemy, "Is thy eye evil because I am good?" 

As the teaching and government of the Catholic 
Church evidently come down from Christ, so 
every doctrine and practice at variance with hers is 
of human origin. That human origin is not hid- 



246 THE TRUE RELIGION OF TODAY. 

den in the uncertain vista of the past, like the 
misdeeds of which the Catholic Church is ac- 
cused. No. The "Testimony of Ages" has re- 
corded that fact with all its individuating circum- 
stances. Yes, history gives us the originator of 
every heretical opinion, the time and place in 
which he lived, the evil he did, and even the causes 
which led him to rebel against that Church to 
which Christ said: "He that heareth you heareth 
Me, and he that despiseth you despiseth Me; and 
he that despiseth Me, despiseth Him that sent Me" 
(Luke x. 16). 

18. Rome and Reason. 

Reason tells us that Rome is the capital of 
Christ's kingdom on earth. Ever since St. Peter 
established himself in Rome, "the light that en- 
lighteneth the world" has emanated from that 
ancient city. From Rome set out the missionaries 
that converted the world. From Rome God's 
eternal truths were made known to mankind. 
From Rome that power was exercised which freed 
mankind from tyranny and oppression, that raised 
woman from degradation to be the queen of the 
home and the visible guardian angel of her chil- 
dren. From Rome the weak ever received help 
and consolation and the wicked reproach and con- 
demnation. Thus the ancient metropolis of the 
heathen world became the capital of Christ's 
spiritual kingdom on earth. In fact, so intimately 
has Rome become associated with the Catholic 



THE TEMPORAL POWER. 247 

Church during the lapse of centuries that "Eoman" 
has become synonymous with "Catholic." "Koman" 
is now recognized as a historical mark of the one 
true Church which Christ has established. So 
clearly has this truth been grasped by some think- 
ing men that they have said, "Either Eome or Eea- 
son." Thereby they meant to say, "If there be 
any positive divine Eeligion, it must be sought in 
Eome, otherwise pure Eeason is man's only guide." 
But if all fair-minded persons would only look 
deeper into the facts of this important question, 
they would find that "Eome and Eeason" must 
be man's guide according to the simple plan of the 
Almighty. Eeason tells man that God is the 
Creator. Historical reason tells him that God 
has spoken to mankind, that Christ, the God-Man, 
has established one true Church to lead man to 
heaven. Eeason and history tell man that the 
Church which Christ established exists to-day, that 
it is no other than the Catholic Church, whose in- 
fallible head resides in Eome. Therefore, either 
"Eome and Eeason" or pride, avarice, and sensual- 
ity will be man's guide. 

19. The Temporal Power. 

By the providence of God the head of the Catho- 
lic Church became a temporal sovereign. These 
are the historical facts. During the Barbarian in- 
vasions in the sixth century the Western Empire 
was weakened and finally overthrown. For a time 
the Ostrogoths held sway in Italy. Then Justinian 



248 THE TRUE RELIGION OF TO-DAY. 

I. reconquered it and made Italy a province of the 
Eastern Empire. The governor was unable to 
defend the province against the Lombards, who 
next invaded Italy. The Pope then became the 
natural protector of Rome and the surrounding 
country. When the Lombards took Ravenna and 
threatened Rome, Pope Stephen III. sought the 
protection of France, because the Eastern Empire 
was unable to protect Rome. Pepin of France de- 
feated the Lombards and donated the conquered 
territory to the Catholic Church. Thus the king- 
dom of Rome, known as "the Papal States," came 
into existence, A.D. 756. This territory was in- 
creased by the donations of Charlemagne in 774. 
With little interruption the Pope of Rome has been 
king of the Papal States down to the year 1870, 
when he was violently robbed of his possessions 
by Victor Emmanuel. 

Though the honest mind can at a glance see 
the justice of the papal claim to the kingdom of 
Rome, it does not always understand the necessity 
of a temporal power for the welfare of the Catholic 
Church. Still, if the subject be rightly viewed, it 
can be easily understood. As Leo XIII. said, 
"The Pope, as the spiritual Father of all the faith- 
ful and vicar of Christ, can be the subject of no 
temporal power." By divine right he is indepen- 
dent of even- temporal ruler. The exercise of his 
independence is not essential to the existence of the 
Church, but absolutely necessary for her welfare 
and free development. As Mgr. Schroeder said, 



THE TEMPORAL POWER. 249 

"What the District of Columbia is to the United 
States government, that the kingdom of Eome has 
been to the Catholic Church." If the city of Wash- 
ington were subject to the State of Maryland, it 
could not well be the seat of the general govern- 
ment of all the States. In like manner, as long as 
Eome is subject to the king of Italy the Pope will 
be hampered in the exercise of his divine power as 
ruler of all the faithful. This truth becomes 
clearer still when we call to mind that the govern- 
ment of the Catholic Church, being a govern- 
ment of the entire Catholic world, is necessarily 
more extensive and complicated than any single 
national government. 

Objections. 

1. Christ said: "My kingdom is not of this 
world." — By these words Christ impressed on 
Pilate that His Church is a spiritual kingdom. 

2. The Church existed 700 years without 
temporal power. — "Temporal power" is not essen- 
tial to the Church or the papacy, but to the wel- 
fare of the same. 

3. The Church is doing nicely without the tem- 
poral power. — Because God makes good come from 
evil. 

4. Temporal power might interfere with the 
spiritual prerogatives of the Pope. — In point of 
fact, it has contributed to the welfare of mankind 
for more than 1100 years. 

5. The citizens of Eome have a right to choose 



250 THE TRUE RELIGION OF TO-DAY. 

their king. — They should also make a sacrifice for 
the common good. As regards the facts, they never 
sanctioned the usurpation. If their voice were 
heard to-day it would be, "Viva il Papa re!" 

20. The Disciple is Not Above the Master. 
Matt. x. 24. 

Suffering persecution is another extrinsic sign 
of the true Church. Our Saviour foretold that the 
world would persecute His disciples as it had per- 
secuted Him (John xv. 20). "You shall be hated 
by all nations for My name's sake" (Matt. xxiv. 
9). "If you had been of the world, the world 
would love its own; but because you are not of 
the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, 
therefore the world hateth you." "My kingdom is 
not of this world" (John xv. 19 ; xviii. 36). 

As the enemies of God, inspired by the spirits 
of darkness, persecuted the God-Man to death, so 
have they persecuted His Church to this present 
day. The first three centuries alone saw ten mil- 
lions of martyrs give up their life for their faith 
under this persecution, while millions more suf- 
fered imprisonment, confiscation of property, and 
banishment. When the persecutions ceased in one 
quarter, they began with renewed vigor in other 
quarters. Thus century after century has wit- 
nessed the hatred of the world for the Catholic 
Church, simply because she "is not of the world." 
Indeed, "the servant is not greater than the Mas- 
ter" (John xiii. 16). 



DISCIPLE NOT ABOVE THE MASTER. 251 

Even here in our beloved country, where Catho- 
lics first proclaimed religious liberty, the Catholic 
Church has never been without persecution. In 
some States Catholics are still disqualified from 
holding certain offices. In all States throughout 
the length and breadth of the land this animosity 
is felt. Though it does not always rage with the 
bigoted violence of Knownothingism or A. P. A.ism, 
it never contents itself with merely "protesting" 
against Catholics and their Church. It always 
finds individuals base enough to repeat the ground- 
less and oft-repeated slanders of the past. "With 
Pharisaical cunning these perverters of the truth 
add calumnies of their own. Duly qualified and 
authorized expounders of the Catholic doctrine 
may preach year after year in a place and these 
"sincere seekers of the truth" do not think it worth 
their while to hear them. But as soon as some 
drunken or immoral "ex-priest" appears with "a 
revelation of the confessional" he is sure of a large 
and appreciative audience, at least on his first ap- 
pearance. How truly did the Saviour say, "Be- 
cause you are not of the world, therefore the world 
hateth you" (John xv. 19). 

Object ions. 

1. The Catholic Church is persecuted because 
she persecuted others. — The Catholic Church has 
never persecuted any one. 

2. But members of the Church have. — If they 
have, they were not authorized by her, as the re- 



252 THE TRUE RELIGION OF TO-DAY. 

formers authorized persecution. If there was any 
guilt among Catholics, it must be attributed to 
the individual. Even this is greatly exaggerated. 
3. What, then, is the spirit of the Catholic 
Church? — "Glory to God in the highest, and on 
earth peace to men of good will" (Luke ii. 14). 

21. The Sanction of Miracles. 

Miracles are a divine sanction of the true Church 
of Christ. "We have already seen that God can, 
and at times may, suspend the ordinary laws of 
nature to effect some greater good. Christ ap- 
pealed to His miracles as the seal of Heaven on 
His preaching. Any one acquainted with the his- 
tory of the Catholic Church knows that she has 
never been without this divine sanction of her 
mission. To deny their actuality because you have 
not witnessed one is unreasonable. Any person 
who desires may visit any of God's chosen shrines 
and see for himself. At Lourdes in France, for 
example, there occur annually at least from ten to 
twelve extraordinary, miraculous cures. These 
cures, effected through the intercession of the 
Blessed Virgin, are declared miracles not merely 
by the credulous. A staff of twelve eminent phy- 
sicians, only two of whom are Catholics, are pres- 
ent, examine every patient on his arrival and after 
his cure. Other medical men have the fullest lib- 
erty to do the same. Cures of nervous disorders 
are not classed as miracles. During the past year 
a most unique assembly convened at Lourdes. It 



THE CHURCH GIVES PEACE. 253 

was composed wholly of persons who had in years 
past been miraculously cured at Mary's favorite 
shrine. Impostors from Simon Magus to Mrs. 
Eddy have shammed miracles to give weight to 
their claims. The most these have ever effected is 
to cure one disease of the imagination by another. 

22. "Peace Be To You." 

John xx. ip. 

Another criterion of the divinity of the Catho- 
lic Church is that she universally gives peace to 
all "of good will." At the conclusion of the Last 
Supper our divine Saviour addressed His beloved 
disciples in a most affectionate discourse. He 
spoke to them of the heavenly Father, of the 
mansions He would prepare for them, of the Holy 
Ghost, who would come upon them. He promised 
them His peace, and exhorted them to cultivate 
the same by the practice of divine charity. In 
conclusion He prayed the heavenly Father that 
this peace might ever remain with His beloved 
disciples as well as with all who would receive the 
gift of faith through them, "that they may be one 
in us, that the world may believe that Thou hast 
sent Me" (John xvii. 21). 

Three things are essential for the peace of man. 
They are: truth for his mind, goodness for his 
heart, and the means of enabling all "of good will" 
to acquire both more and more. These three sources 
of peace Our Saviour has left in His Church. Only 
by listening to her infallible teaching can the 



254 TEE TRUE RELIGION OF TODAY. 

honest mind find peace. Only by the possession of 
the friendship of God can the heart of man live 
in peace. Only by using the means of grace which 
the Church possesses can man have the consola- 
tion of spiritual progress. Hence Our Saviour 
rightly said to Thomas, "I am the way, the truth, 
and the life." He is the way that leads to the 
heavenly Father, our final end. He alone can 
satisfy the mind by a vision of the eternal Truth. 
He is the life that alone can give man the divine 
Goodness in its fulness in heaven. 

23. The Sacrifice of the New Law. 

By his very nature man is bound to make some 
offering to God in acknowledgment of his subjec- 
tion and God's dominion. When an object is of- 
fered to God, it is made sacred. Hence the offer- 
ing of the object to God is called sacrifice, to make 
sacred. Sacrifice is essential to external Religion. 
The choice of the object depends on the will of 
God. In the Mosaic Law He prescribed various 
sacrifices. These typified the sacrifice of the God- 
Man on Calvary and were pleasing to God only in 
so far as they referred to this great sacrifice of the 
Son of God. 

On Calvary Jesus Christ, the eternal High Priest, 
offered Himself as a most acceptable offering to 
His heavenly Father for all mankind. This sacri- 
fice of Jesus Christ is continually renewed in the 
Catholic Church. Through the ministry of the 
priests the prophecy of Malachy is fulfilled, when 



TEE SACRIFICE OF TEE NEW LAW. 255 

he said, "From the rising of the sun even to the 
going down, My name is great among the Gentiles, 
and in every place there is sacrifice, and there is 
offered to My name a clean oblation" (Mai. i. 11). 

During the first centuries of the Christian era 
the unbloody renewal of the sacrifice of Calvary 
was designated by various names. In later times 
it is universally called "the Mass." Though the 
origin of the name is obscure, there can be no doubt 
that Christ instituted this sacrifice on the eve of 
His suffering and death, and commanded His 
priests to offer it, saying, "Do this in commemora- 
tion of Me" (Luke xxii. 19). So evident, in fact, 
are the words of institution, and so clear the doc- 
trine and practice of the early Church, that even 
Luther did not dare deny that "the Mass is truly 
a sacrifice offered to God." 

Through the ministry of His priests, therefore, 
the Son of God still offers Himself in an invisible 
and unbloody manner "from the rising of the sun 
even to the going down." In union with Jesus 
Christ in His "clean oblation" we can adore, thank 
and supplicate the eternal Father in a way ac- 
ceptable to Him and hope for the remission of our 
sins. How sad, on the other hand, the condition of 
those people who have no priests, no altar, no sacri- 
fice. Even with the best of intentions they cannot 
worship God as He deserves and ordains. Like the 
Israelites in exile, they are far from the true 
temple of the living God. 



256 THE TRUE RELIGION OF TO-DAY. 

Objections. 

1. Did not Christ do away with all sacrifice? — 
On the contrary He is u a Priest forever according to 
the order of Melchisedech" (Hebr. vii. 17). 

2. St. Paul said the sacrifice of the cross can- 
not be repeated. — That is, Christ cannot die again. 
The Mass and the sacrifice of the cross are identi- 
cal. The one is a commemoration and continua- 
tion of the other. The manner of offering alone 
is different. 

3. Can you prove the Mass from Scripture? — It 
was foreshadowed by the sacrifice of Melchisedech 
(Gen. xiv. 18), foretold by Malachy (i. 11), of- 
fered and instituted by Christ (Luke xxii. 20; 
Mark xiv. 28; Matt. xxvi. 28), offered by the 
Apostles (Acts xiii. 2), and spoken of by St. Paul 
(1 Cor. xvi. 16; Hebr. ix. 21, x. 11). 

24. The True Priesthood of the New Law. 

The true priesthood of the Xew Law was in- 
stituted by Jesus Christ. This eternal High Priest 
ordained the Apostles to teach all nations, to for- 
give sin, to offer the sacrifice of the New Law, to 
administer all the sacraments and to govern the 
faithful. The Apostles chose other apostles, 
bishops, priests, and deacons to aid them and to 
continue their work unto the end of time. The 
Catholic priest alone can point with confidence to 
that Apostolic Succession which has made him an 
ambassador of Christ (2 Cor. v. 20). In virtue 



THE CELIBACY OF THE CLERGY. 257 

of this succession he is invested with divine au- 
thority to teach, minister to and guide the faith- 
ful. The dignity of this teacher of mankind does 
not flow essentially from his personality or learn- 
ing. It is the halo of his office that distinguishes 
him from the faithful. Cardinal Gibbons says, 
"The priest is a king, reigning over the hearts 
and affections of his people. He is a shepherd, 
leading his flock into the delicious pastures of 
the sacraments, and sheltering them from the 
wolves that lie in wait for their souls. He is a 
father, because he breaks the bread of life to his 
spiritual children, whom he has begotten in 
Jesus Christ through the Gospel (1 Cor. iv. 15). 
He is a judge, whose office is to .pass sentence 
of pardon on self-accusing criminals. He is 
a physician, because he heals their souls of the 
loathsome distempers of sin." "As the Father 
hath sent Me," says Jesus Christ to the priest at 
his ordination, "so I also send you" (John xx. 21). 
"You have not chosen Me, but I have chosen you, 
and have appointed you, that you should go, and 
should bring forth fruit ; and your fruit should re- 
main" (John xv. 16). 

25. The Celibacy of the Clergy the Celibacy 
of Jesus Christ. 

In imitation of the practice of her Founder, 
Jesus Christ, the Catholic Church prescribes 
celibacy for her clergy. Priests should be celibates, 
so that they may "present their bodies a living sac- 



258 THE TRUE RELIGION OF TO-DAY. 

rifice, holy, pleasing unto God" (Kom. xii. 11). 
Since "the flesh lusteth against the spirit, and the 
spirit against the flesh' 7 (Eph. v. 17), those es- 
pecially who are destined to lead others in the 
way of the spirit should first triumph over the flesh. 
Only then, like Paul and Barnabas, are they truly 
separated from the faithful for the work whereunto 
the Lord hath chosen them (Acts xiii. 2). If 
Jesus Christ is the model for all mankind, He is 
doubly so for His chosen priests. He, the God- 
Man, did not merely say, "Blessed are the clean of 
heart, for they shall see God" (Matt. v. 8). He 
also led a life so pure, so spiritual, that even His 
bitterest and most unscrupulous enemies did not 
dare accuse Him on this point. Our Saviour could 
therefore confidently say to the Apostles, "Behold, 
I have given you an example that as I have done, 
you should do likewise" (John xiii. 15). 

The Saviour, besides, showed a special predilec- 
tion for John the virgin disciple. This chosen one 
assures us that in heaven virgins follow the Lamb 
whithersoever He goeth, and sing a new canticle 
before the throne (Apoc. xiv. 2). Even the other 
Apostles, who had been married, became celibates 
upon their election to the Apostolate. St. Paul in 
particular became so enamored of celibacy, that 
he said, "I would that all men were even as my- 
self" (1 Cor. vii. 7). "For he that is without a 
wife is solicitous for the things that belong to the 
Lord, how he may please God" (1 Cor. vii. 32). 

"It is as much in a life of chaste celibacy," right- 



^ 



THE EVANGELICAL COUNSELS. 259 

ly remarks Father Drury, "as in any other respect 
that the priest is required to follow Jesus." He is 
to be the mediator between Christ and man, the 
teacher of His word, the dispenser of His mercies, 
the offerer of His sacrifice. The priest, in one 
word, should be Christ again incarnate. The 
Church, therefore, has the best reasons for insist- 
ing on the celibacy of her clergy, and the priest 
the highest model in practising it. 

Objections. 

1. Celibacy is impossible. — That thought is 
usually conceived in a corrupt heart. "No word is 
impossible with God" (Luke i. 37). If God calls 
one He also gives that person superabundant grace 
to follow His calling. 

2. Celibacy is unnatural. — It is unnatural for 
the race, but supernatural for the individual. 

3. Married priests could be models to their 
flocks. — "He that is married is solicitous for the 
things of the world" (1 Cor. vii. 33). A married 
priest could not sacrifice himself for his flock. 
Especially in time of pestilence would he first have 
to care for his own. 

26. The Evangelical Counsels Observed in the 
Catholic Church. 

The Evangelical Counsels have always been ob- 
served in the Church since the time of Our Saviour. 
The violence of the early persecutions made their 
systematic observance impossible during the first 



260 THE TRUE RELIGION OF TO-DAY. 

three centuries of the Christian era. During those 
trying times, however, many persons of both sexes 
observed the Evangelical Counsels. Living under 
the immediate direction of their pastors, they ren- 
dered much valuable assistance to them by their 
willing service. However, no sooner was the Catho- 
lic Church tolerated than many persons desirous 
of practising the Evangelical Counsels to the let- 
ter introduced the monastic life under the guid- 
ance of St. Paul the Hermit (+340). Pachomius 
(+348) J Ammonius, Anthony (+356), Hilarion 
(+371), and Maearius (+390), soon followed his 
example. Thus the monastic life spread from 
Africa over the entire Christian world. 

A few centuries later St. Benedict (+543) in- 
troduced a reform into monasticism which gave 
its followers the additional benefit of community 
life. The religious, who lived in numerous monas- 
teries, devoted themselves not only to their own 
Banctification, but also preached the Gospel with 
great zeal and success and imparted a thorough 
education to the countless students who flocked 
to the monastic schools. 

After the Barbarian invasion many new Orders 
sprang up in the Church. The principal ones that 
appeared about this time were the Franciscans 
(1210), the Dominicans (1215), the Poor Clares 
(1219), the Carmelites (1219), the Order of Mercy 
(1223), ihe Servites (1223), the Celestines 
(1254), and the Augustinians (1256). 

About the time of Luther's apostasy numerous 



\ 



TEE EVANGELICAL COUNSELS. 261 

religious Orders and Congregations were founded 
to counteract the evils of those times. Those that 
attained prominence in history were the Eecollects 
(1500), Theatines (1528), Capuchins (1528), 
Clerks Eegular (1530), Barnabites (1530), Jesu- 
its (1534), Alcantarines, Oratorians, Oblates, 
Discalced Carmelites, and Ursulines. 

The religious revival of the last three centuries 
called into existence the Trappists (1660), the 
Lazarists, and the Sisters of Charity. The Sisters 
of St. Joseph (1650), the Sisters of the Good Shep- 
herd (1650), the Passionists (1720), the Eedemp- 
torists (1732), the Presentation Nuns (1777), 
the Sulpitians, the Basilians, the Sisters of the 
Sacred Heart, the Visitation Nuns, Sisters of 
Notre Dame (1804), the Congregation of the Holy 
Cross (about 1800), the Congregation of the Pre- 
cious Blood (1814), the Sisters of Charity of 
Nazareth (1812), the Sisters of Loretto, the Sis- 
ters of Mercy (1827), the Little Sisters of the 
Poor (1840), the Paulists (1858), the Felicians, 
the Eesurrectionists, the Sisters of Providence, the 
Sisters of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, the Sis- 
ters of the Holy Childhood, Poor School Sisters, 
Sisters of Charity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the 
Handmaids of Christ, the Sisters of Christian 
Charity, and several other Congregations of relig- 
ious men and women have appeared in recent years. 

Is it not somewhat surprising that in this coun- 
try of the almighty dollar and in this materialistic 
age there are at present nrore than 55,000 chosen 



262 TEE TRUE RELIGION OF TODAY. 

60uls striving after perfection according to the 
Evangelical Counsels of Our Saviour? 

27. True Repentance. 

True repentance must harmonize with the dic- 
tates of Reason and Faith. It must satisfy the 
Almighty to obtain His pardon. In the Catholic 
Church repentance is practised according to God's 
holy will as made known by Reason and Revelation. 
The practice of repentance may be considered in 
two ways: (1) as prescribed by the Catholic 
Church; and (2) in its effects upon the repentant. 
As a doctrine of the Catholic Church repentance 
is another sign of her divine mission. For what- 
ever comes from God is certainly reasonable and 
in accordance with revelation. Besides, the mis- 
sion of the Church is "peace on earth to men of 
good will." By her doctrine and practice of re- 
pentance the Catholic Church alone brings all of 
good will in touch with God's infinite mercy. As 
the agent of God's mercy, she accomplishes her 
task with divine certainty. This we have seen in 
the chapter on Forgiveness of Sins. 

The individual of good will, on the other hand, 
not only desires the forgiveness of his sins, but also 
the certainty, the absolute, divine certainty, that 
his sins are forgiven. This certainty gives him 
courage to begin life anew and persevere in the 
path of virtue. But as long as any individual has a 
reasonable fear in regard to the past, he lacks de- 
cision in the present as well as energy to face the 



THE PRACTICAL TEST. 263 

future. Is it not because non- Catholics have lost 
the secret of true repentance that the vast ma- 
jority of them have drifted into religious indiffer- 
ence, while the uncertainty of some has developed 
into agnosticism, and the despair of others into 
downright atheism? 

28. The Practical Test. 

The practical test shows whether an article suits 
the purpose for which it was made. Let us apply 
this test to Eeligion. The true Eeligion was in- 
tended by an all-wise and merciful God to aid all 
of good will to union with Him. His Eeligion 
must therefore accomplish the purpose of its ex- 
istence. Here is an honest non-Catholic. His 
religious nature was neglected in the days of his 
innocence and youth. The little religious instruc- 
tion he received barely sufficed to fill his mind 
with a false idea of the Catholic Church and to 
prejudice his heart against her. In consequence 
he formed habits of mind and heart that gave a 
material tendency to his concrete nature. He 
rarely seeks God in prayer, and manifests little 
devotion to his Creator and Eedeemer. If he goes 
to prayer-meeting of a Sunday, he finds others as 
helpless and as spiritually starved as himself. 
There is no altar, no priest, no sacrifice to aid him 
in worshiping God. The preacher feeds his 
hungry soul on the husks of politics instead of 
bringing home to him the word of God. That 
preacher cannot prove to an ordinary jury that he 



264 TEE TRUE RELIGION OF TO-DAY. 

is sent by God. In fact he realizes that he has 
no message from heaven, as he entertains his hear- 
ers with the sensation of the hour. He has no 
sacrifice to offer for his people. He cannot hold out 
to them the olive branch of divine mercy. He can- 
not grant pardon to the repentant in God's name. 
Hence that honest non-Catholic lives in spiritual 
darkness and despair. To him the self-sacrificing 
life of the celibate priest has been branded as a 
crime. The evangelical poverty, chastity, and 
obedience of religious men and women in the 
Catholic fold he has been taught to look upon as 
queer, if not as rank hypocrisy or fanaticism. 

The Catholic, on the other hand, has learned "to 
know, love and serve" God at a tender age. The 
prayers he learned in his childhood are still the 
daily source of his spiritual strength. The thought 
of the good God, the loving Saviour and His Vir- 
gin Mother sweetens his trials. The reward to come 
stimulates him in giving to God the best thought 
of his mind and the purest affection of his heart. 
When the Catholic goes to church on Sundays, he 
is not disappointed in hearing the word of God. 
In union with his Eucharistic Saviour in the sacri- 
fice of the Mass he adores, thanks, and prays the 
heavenly Father in an acceptable manner. When 
his conscience convicts him of a fault which he 
detests, he does not presume on God's mercy, 
neither does he despair. He knows that his spir- 
itual Father is not only the priest of Jesus Christ, 
but also the agent of God's infinite mercy. From 



TEE C ATE OLIO RITUAL. 265 

that mediator with Jesus Christ he obtains the 
divine assurance that his sins were forgiven by a 
good confession. That priest nourishes his soul 
with "the living Bread that came down from 
heaven." When, finally, the Catholic is sick and 
dying, that ministering angel of God's mercy is 
again at his side. Having received every blessing 
of the Church during life, the purified soul of that 
Catholic now goes joyfully to judgment and to life 
everlasting. 

29. The Catholic Ritual. 

The Catholic Eitual prescribes the ceremonies 
to be employed in divine worship, in the admin- 
istration of the sacraments and in the various 
blessings of the Church. We have already seen 
that religious ceremonies are in accordance with 
human nature and approved by God. They are 
the outward expression of interior love and de- 
votion. The observance of the Catholic Eitual 
gives honor to God, elevates man's thoughts to 
things spiritual by fascinating him with the 
Church's symbolism. God and His holy things are 
certainly deserving of due reverence and respect. 
The Catholic Church appreciates the dignity and 
majesty of God, and therefore endeavors to give 
expression to the devotion of the human heart in 
outward reverence and splendor. She prizes the 
Real Presence of the Emmanuel on her altars and 
worships Him with all the awe and grandeur that 
science can devise and art execute. Her reason for 



266 THE TRUE RELIGION OF TODAY. 

this religious enthusiasm was expressed by the 
Apostle when he said: "Thou art worthy, Lord, 
our God, to receive glory and honor and power, 
because Thou hast created all things ; and for Thy 
will they were and have been created" ( Apoc. iv. 
15). 

The Church, moreover, fascinates the senses of 
the worshiper by the splendor of her ritual and 
thus raises his mind and heart from terrestrial 
things to the contemplation of things divine. If 
man were a mere spirit, all this would be unneces- 
sary. But in the present order of things religious 
ceremonies are a powerful aid to man in conquer- 
ing the allurements of "the flesh, the world, and 
the devil," so that he may duly worship God "in 
spirit and in truth." 

These ceremonies are, besides, replete with deep 
spiritual meaning. The faithful, for example, 
know that the vestments used at the altar repre- 
sent the instruments with which Our Saviour was 
tortured. They likewise understand from their 
manuals of devotion that every act of the priest 
during the holy sacrifice of the Mass represents 
some phase of Our Saviour's sacrifice upon the 
cross. Hence these ceremonies, though meaning- 
less to the ignorant, are full of deep significance 
for the devout Catholic. 

Finally, the ceremonies of the Catholic Church 
have a foundation in the conduct of Our Lord 
Himself. He, the God-Man, used ceremonies in 
curing the deaf-mute (Mark vii. 33) and the 



TEE LATIN LANGUAGE. 267 

blind man (John ix. 6). He solemnly invoked 
a blessing at the Last Supper (Matt. xxvi. 33). 

He breathed upon the Apostles after His Kesur- 
rection (John xx. 22). The Apostolic Church 
likewise used ceremonies in conferring Holy Orders 
(1 Tim. iv. 14, 2 i. 6), as well as in anointing 
the sick (James v. 14). Many of the ceremonies 
used in the Catholic Church to-day are said to have 
been instituted by Our Lord Himself. Others date 
back to Apostolic times. 

In fact, no better evidence could be adduced to 
prove that religious ceremonies are natural to 
man than the fact that in our day non-Catholics, 
who used to conduct their religious services with 
puritanical coldness, are gradually adopting the 
enchanting ritual of ante-Eeformation days. 

30. The Latin Language. 

The Latin language is the official language of 
the Catholic Church. The use of a dead language 
is morally necessary for the one true Church of 
Jesus Christ. Local non-Catholic denominations, 
whose creed, practice, and government are subject 
to change, do well in maintaining the vernacular. 
Many cogent reasons, on the other hand, may be 
advanced to show the advantage of the Latin 
tongue for the Catholic Church. In the first place, 
the Catholic Church is universal, or cosmopolitan. 
She counts among her children people of all na- 
tions, speaking all tongues. The Church must 
not only communicate with her members, but 



268 THE TRUE RELIGION OF TO-DAY. 

also give them the correct doctrine. For both 
purposes Latin is most useful. Latin, being a dead 
language, retains the exact meaning of its words. 
It is, besides, an exact and polished language. 
Latin, therefore, forms a safe medium of exchange 
of thought not only with other people of our day, 
but also Apostolic ages. 

Besides, as the one true Church of Christ, the 
Catholic Church must (1) preserve the original 
doctrine in all its purity. (2) Under pain of 
nullity she must use the proper form in the admini- 
stration of her sacraments. (3) To obtain clear- 
ness and precision in her laws she must avoid all 
ambiguity in her language. In one word, she must 
take every human precaution to safeguard not only 
her infallibility, but also her unity, Catholicity, 
and Apostolicity. All these ends are attained by 
adopting a dead language as her own. 

At the time of the Apostles, Latin was the lan- 
guage of the Empire. Thus it naturally became 
the language of the Church in those days. After 
the Empire had fallen, the Latin language sur- 
vived as the language of new Rome. It is the un- 
changeable medium of God's unchangeable doc- 
trine. It is the safeguard of the Church in the ad- 
ministration of the sacraments. It enables her 
ministers to communicate with one another in the 
remotest parts of the earth. It enables them to re- 
main in close communion with their spiritual head, 
Christ's vicar on earth. 



THE COMMUNION OF SAINTS. 269 

Objections. 

1. St. Paul exhorted the Corinthians to use a 
language understood by all. — He exhorted the 
teachers to instruct the faithful in their ver- 
nacular. 

2. A dead language makes a Church appear 
antiquated. — The Catholic Church is indeed old. 
However, she boasts not so much of the antiquity of 
her language as of the antiquity of her faith, sacra- 
ments, and Apostolic succession. 

31. The Communion of Saints. 

The communion of saints is a union existing 
between God and His friends in heaven, on earth 
and in purgatory. Three societies were instituted 
by almighty God. The family for the welfare of 
the individual and of the race, the state for the 
common good, and the Church for the individual 
and common, temporal and eternal welfare of 
angels and mankind. The friends of God on earth 
constitute the Church militant, the friends of God 
in purgatory the Church suffering, and the friends 
of God in heaven the Church triumphant. 

The bond uniting all these friends of God with 
one another is the Holy Ghost, the soul of the 
Church, and the source of divine charity. The 
friends of God on earth, if living in perfect union 
of knowledge, love and the service of God, are ex- 
ternally united by the profession of the same faith, 
the reception of the same sacraments, the observ- 
ance of the same commandments under the in- 



270 THE TRUE RELIGION OF TO-DAY. 

fallible guidance of Christ's vicar. The friends of 
God in purgatory are united while suffering with 
resignation for their sins by the bond of faith, 
hope, and charity. The friends of God in heaven 
are united in the perfect fruition of God, by their 
knowledge and the indissoluble bond of divine 
charity. This union of all God's friends in the 
Holy Ghost by the bond of divine charity we call 
the communion of saints. 

32. The Blessed Virgin Mary. 

The Blessed Virgin Mary deserves special honor 
as the Mother of God and special love as the spiri- 
tual Mother of mankind. The Blessed Virgin 
Mary gave the Son of God that body in which He 
Buffered and died. She is therefore as truly the 
Mother of God as any mother can claim to be the 
mother of her child. 

The Son of Mary gave us the commandment to 
honor our parents. He also said, "I have given 
you an example, that as I have done, so you do 
also." How did God give us an example in 
honoring Mary ? By making her a worthy Mother 
of Our Redeemer. The Son of Mary enjoyed a 
unique advantage over all other children. It was 
within His power to make for Himself a mother 
according to His mind's ideal, according to His 
Heart's most cherished desire. Was He wanting 
in filial piety by neglecting to honor Mary in her 
creation and sanctification ? Certainly not. That 
would have doubly reflected on Himself. For His 



TEE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY. 271 

own dignity required that he should lavish every 
perfection on her whom He was to call by the 
endearing name of mother. He therefore not only 
created her soul free from original sin, but made 
her perfect by nature and grace. Thus, by God's 
favor and her own co-operation Mary became "Our 
tainted nature's solitary boast." Now, if that one 
is deserving of honor "whom the king has hon- 
ored," what honor is due to Mary, whom the King 
of kings and the Lord of heaven and earth has hon- 
ored more than all other creatures? We certainly 
are following the example of Jesus Christ when we 
honor Mary more than all other creatures. 

As the spiritual Mother of mankind, Mary is 
also deserving of our special love. Mary gave us 
the greatest token of her maternal solicitude when 
she presented us with her own divine Son, who is 
the spiritual life. Jesus Himself said that He 
is "the life" — not only the giver of spiritual life, 
but spiritual life itself. Mary freely consented to 
the death of her Son, that we might have spiritual 
life. There never was a mother who loved her 
child as Mary loved Jesus. There never was a 
creature that loved God as Mary did. Now, 
.though the Son of Mary was her God, "she stood 
beneath the cross" for three mortal hours, sacri- 
ficing her dearest Jesus, her Son, her God, her all 
for our sakes. Oh, it was then that Mary gave us 
spiritual life. It was then that Mary gave us an 
indisputable proof of her maternal love for us. 
All mankind was at enmity with God, when Mary 



272 THE TRUE RELIGION OF TO-DAY. 

'made this sacrifice for mankind. Now we have 
been born to that spiritual life in holy Baptism. 
Thanks to the love of Mary we are the children of 
God, the brethren of Christ. Who will therefore 
dare to censure us if we honor Mary, if we love 
Mary, if we show our gratitude to Mar} r , if we 
go to Mary with child-like confidence in all our 
troubles? If Mary did so much for us when 
we were the enemies of God and she but "the 
humble maid of Nazareth," what will she refuse 
us now that we are the friends of God and she 
our spiritual Mother, the Queen of heaven and 
earth? Let us love Mary with a grateful love. 
Did not God say, "Forget not the groanings of 
thy mother"? (Eccli. vii. 26). Did not Jesus say, 
" I have given you an example, that as I have done, 
so you do also" ? 

Objections. 

1. Mary is only an ordinary woman. — The 
Archangel Gabriel evidently did not say so. 

2. Catholics show Mary more honor than God. 
— This oft refuted slander is made only by an ig- 
norant bigot. 

3. Mary is the Mother of Jesus, not of God. — 
Gabriel, however, said to Mary, "The Holy which 
shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of 
God." Hence, Mary is the Mother of God. 

33. Veneration of the Saints. 
The veneration of the saints and of their relics 
and images is pleasing to God, due to His saints 



VENERATION OF THE SAINTS. 273 

and beneficial to mankind. Reason and faith tell 
us that the saints in heaven are confirmed as 
friends of God. Their relics on earth are sacred 
souvenirs, which Catholics treasure as Americans 
do the remains of Washington. The images of 
the saints, the great heroes and heroines of the 
cross, are equally dear to Catholics as the repre- 
sentation of the chosen friends of God, of our 
brethren in Christ, as well as for the practical 
lessons in virtue which they suggest to the faithful 
mind. 

Three reasons may be given for this veneration. 
In the first place, honor given to God's saints is 
honor given to God. The saints are God's creat- 
ures. His grace and special providence made them 
great. It is in this sense that Catholics "honor 
God in His saints." 

Besides, the saints deserve honor, because of 
their free will they co-operated with God's grace 
and did heroic deeds for the glory of God and the 
welfare of mankind. Every one, for example, can 
see that the Apostles deserve special esteem for 
the work they performed in preaching the Gospel 
to mankind. 

A third reason why Catholics honor the angels 
and saints, is to obtain their intercession at the 
throne of God's mercy. We "are fellow citizens 
with the saints" (1 Cor. xiii. 8). In God we are 
united to them by the bond of divine charity, as 
we have already seen. Now, just as a favorite child 
may intercede with its parents for its brothers 



274 TEE TRUE RELIGION OF TODAY. 

and sisters, so the angels and saints can intercede 
for us with God. We know that "the continual 
prayer of the just man availeth much" (Jas. v.16). 
And who is more just than the angels and saints ? 
If the faithful prayed for Peter when he was in 
prison (Acts xii. 5), if St. Paul asked the Chris- 
tians of Eome to pray for him (Rom. xv. 30), 
why cannot St. Peter and St. Paul and the other 
saints in heaven pray for us? The same bond of 
charity still unites them to the faithful on earth 
as when they labored, suffered and died for the 
cause of Christ. 

Objections. 

1. How can the angels and saints hear our 
prayers? — God makes our prayers known to them. 

2. Christ alone is our Mediator with God. — 
The saints are our mediators with Christ. On 
earth we ask God's help "through Jesus Christ our 
Lord." The saints do the same in heaven. 

34. We Can Help Our Dead. 

We can help the souls in purgatory by our pray- 
ers and good works. Two things are evident from 
reason and revelation: (1) "Nothing defiled can 
enter the kingdom of heavven."(2) Our departed 
brethren are stili united to us in charity as mem- 
bers of the communion of saints. 

Practically speaking, very few are so pure in 
life that they can expect to go directly to heaven. 
They must therefore expect to do penance, to be 



WE CAN HELP OUR DEAD. 275 

purified in purgatory. These souls cannot help 
themselves. "The hand of the Lord hath touched 
them." They "must pay the last farthing" of 
their debt. They must be purified of the dross of 
sin before they can enter heaven. "Nothing de- 
filed can enter the kingdom of heaven." 

Death does not change the soul. It merely sep- 
arates soul from body. The habits of the soul 
remain. The friendships of the living are cher- 
ished by the dead. Should we, therefore, while 
among the living, be unmindful of our dead ? The 
bond of charity still unites us to them. Would 
we not be wanting in our charity if "Out of sight 
out of mind" be true of our relationship with 
them? If a relative or dear friend is sick and 
helpless, we nurse them, we do all we can for 
them. We can do the same for our friends who 
die in the Lord. Though no longer present in the 
flesh, we can approach them in spirit. If Jesus 
considers as done to Himself what we do to the 
least of His brethren, He certainly will be pleased 
with our charity towards those who have died in 
His friendship and are therefore sure of heaven. 
Indeed, "it is a holy and wholesome thought to 
pray for the dead." We can benefit them by our 
prayers. We can ask God to accept our penance, 
our good works for their sake. In this way we not 
only help our dead and show our charity towards 
them, but also hasten their entrance into heaven. 



276 THE TRUE RELIGION OF TO-DAY. 

35. What Catholics Believe. 

Catholics believe all that God has revealed as 
handed down by divine tradition and Sacred 
Scripture. Their belief may be summed up in five 
points, as follows : — 

1. About God Catholics believe, (1) That there 
is one God, infinitely perfect, who exists of Himself 
from all eternity; (2) That in God there are 
three Persons, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, equal 
in all perfections ; ( 3 ) That the Son proceeds from 
the Father, and the Holy Ghost from the Father 
and the Son. 

2. About Creation Catholics believe, (1) That 
God created all things in time, for His glory and 
the welfare of His creatures; (2) That angels and 
men were created in original justice, endowed with 
intelligence and free will and subjected to a trial; 
(3) That the supernatural joys of heaven were 
to be the reward of fidelity; (4) That some angels 
rebelled against God and were cast into hell; the 
others were faithful and went to heaven; (5) That 
God gave man an angel guardian; (6) That man 
sinned and was promised a Redeemer; (7) That 
human nature was weakened, but not essentially 
changed by original sin; (8) That God creates 
every human soul; (9) That the guilt of original 
sin is transmitted to the children of Adam. 

3. About Redemption Catholics believe, (1) 
That God the Son assumed human nature from the 
Virgin Mary, uniting the human and the divine 
nature in one divine Person; (2) That He has a 



WHAT CATHOLICS BELIEVE. 277 

human and a divine will; (3) That He died for 
the Kedemption of all mankind; (4) That His 
merits are infinite; (5) That He rose from the 
dead and ascended into heaven; (6) That the 
Blessed Virgin Mary gave the God-Man, Jesns 
Christ, His body, and is therefore truly the Mother 
of God; (7) That on this account Mary was pre- 
served even from original sin; (8) That in con- 
sequence her body did not taste corruption, but 
was reunited after her death to her soul and both 
taken to heaven. 

4. About Sanctification Catholics believe, 
(1) That in Christ's merits is salvation for all of 
good will; (2) That Christ established the one 
holy Catholic, Apostolic Church to teach, guide and 
govern the faithful; (3) That He made St. Peter 
the head of that Church; (4) That the Pope is 
the lawful successor of St. Peter; (5) That 
Christ gave His Church the infallible guidance 
of the Holy Ghost; (6) That she is the guardian 
of God's revealed truth, as contained in divine 
tradition and Sacred Scripture; (7) That the Holy 
Ghost keeps the Pope, His vicar on earth, from 
error when he teaches a doctrine of faith or morals 
to be held by all the faithful; (8) That public 
revelation was completed with the Apostles; (9) 
That faith alone will not save man, but that good 
morals or good works are necessary; (10) That 
God gives sufficient grace for salvation to all man- 
kind; (11) That prayer is the universal means of 
obtaining God's help; (12) That Christ instituted 



278 TEE TRUE RELIGION OF TODAY. 

seven sacraments; (13) That every sin can be 
forgiven; (14) That charity unites God's friends 
on earth with those in heaven and in purgatory; 
(15) That veneration of angels and saints is pleas- 
ing to God; (16) That it is a holy thought to pray 
for the souls in purgatory. 

5. About the Last Things Catholics believe, (1) 
That man's probation ends with death; (2) That 
the particular judgment follows death; (3) That 
the good go to heaven and the wicked to hell; (4) 
That those who have temporal punishment to 
atone for go to purgatory; (5) That this world 
will come to an end when God wills; (6) That 
then the dead will rise again; (?) That then Jesus 
Christ will come to judge the living and the dead; 
(8) That the good will enter into life eternal, but 
the reprobate will go into the everlasting: fire of 
hell. 

36. What Catholics Do Not Believe. 

Catholics have been falsely accused of believ- 
ing the following errors, which the ignorance or 
malice of their fellow men has attributed to them. 
Catholics do not believe that — 

1. There is any other mediator of Redemp- 
tion than Our Saviour, Jesus Christ. 

2. Adoration of the Virgin Mary, the angels 
and saints, their relics and images is lawful. 

3. God still makes new revelations to man- 
kind. 

4. Any one can by his own unaided efforts sat- 
isfy for his sins and earn heaven. 



TEE CEURCE AND SCIENCE. 279 

5. It is allowable to tell a lie, to break a law- 
ful oath or vow — the end justifies the means. 

6. All non-Catholics go to hell. 

7. Catholics submit their minds to a human 
institution. 

8. The Church enslaves reason by keeping from 
it the means of forming a judgment. 

9. The Church enslaves the human intellect by 
her magnificent ceremonial. 

10. The Church can grant permission to com- 
mit sin. 

11. The confessional demoralizes the individual 
and national conscience. 

37. The Church and Science. 

The Catholic Church has always been the great- 
est patron of science and art. She comes from the 
eternal Truth and in His name. Her mission is 
to spread God's truth among men. In proportion 
as truth appears does her cause advance. In pro- 
portion as the Catholic Church is known is she 
also respected and loved. 

When Jesus Christ sent His Church to enlighten 
the world, all mankind was in the darkness of ig- 
norance and sin. The Catholic Church removed 
the darkness of ignorance from the mind of man 
by enlightening him with the light of God's truth. 
She removed the darkness of sin from his heart 
by enriching it with divine grace. 

During the first centuries of the Christian era 
the Church had to confine her teaching to the bare 
essentials. The persecutions at times raged so 



280 THE TRUE RELIGION OF TO-DAY. 

violently that the Church could scarcely impart 
the necessary truths of salvation to all of good 
will. But when the moral power of the Catholic 
Church had triumphed over the brute force of the 
Roman and the Barbarian a new era dawned. The 
Church emerged from the Catacombs and began 
to enlighten the whole world. Monasteries sprang 
up everywhere. They became the nurseries of 
piety and learning. Their average attendance dur- 
ing the so-called dark ages was from four to five 
thousand students. No institution of our day has 
equaled the universities of the Middle Ages in 
point of attendance. There is hardly an institu- 
tion of learning in Europe to-day worthy of the 
name of university, which is not the outgrowth or 
the survival of one of these ancient seats of learn- 
ing. In consequence of this a Catholic atmosphere 
pervades the arts and sciences to such an extent 
that the infidelity of the last century was unable 
to efface it. Hence all great scientists and artists 
of ancient as well as of modern times owe a debt 
to the fostering care of the Catholic Church. 

Even here in the United States, where Catholics 
are in the minority and laboring under disadvan- 
tages, the Catholic Church has not been idle. In 
spite of the fact that Catholics are poor and taxed 
for state institutions, they have erected and main- 
tained 7 universities, 83 seminaries, 191 colleges, 
692 academies, 4,235 parochial schools, besides 252 
orphanages and 987 other charitable institutions. 
What denomination can equal it? 



REVELATION OR EVOLUTION. 281 

38. Revelation or Evolution. 

Two questions naturally present themselves to 
a thinking mind: Where did life come from? 
How did it develop? The answer of revelation 
to both these questions is given on the first page 
of the Bible. It may be briefly summed up as fol- 
lows : ( 1 ) "In the beginning God created heaven 
and earth." (2) During the six "days," or "crea- 
tive periods/' God produced every kind of vegetable 
and animal life, also angels and men. This doc- 
trine harmonizes with the doctrine of geology and 
paleontology. (3) Every form of known life de- 
veloped in its species according to nature's laws 
from individual life as originally created. (4) 
The accidental modifications of species, known as 
varieties, are due to accidental causes such as 
climate, nourishment, exercise and the like. 

Until some followers of Luther developed into 
downright materialists, this testimony of the Bible 
was implicitly accepted by Christianity. These 
free-thinkers, however, invented various theories 
that were to answer their questions satisfactorily 
without admitting the creative act of God, whose 
very existence many of them deny. These numer- 
ous theories may all be classed under the compre- 
hensive term of "Evolution." Two things are uni- 
versally admitted in regard to life. First, that life 
did not always exist on earth. Second, that there 
is a law according to which every living being 
comes from a being endowed with life. In ac- 



282 TEE TRUE RELIGION OF TO DAY. 

cordance with these scientific facts evolutionists 
have constructed various theories to explain the 
origin and development of life. (1) They begin 
with asserting the eternity of matter. (2) They 
proceed^to answer the question concerning the 
origin of life by inventing the theory of "spon- 
taneous generation." That is, spontaneous produc- 
tion of life, or organized matter. (3) They then 
confidently explain the development of life by 
pointing to one, great, eternal evolutionary process, 
by means of which life developed from a tiny and 
vague organism to the most perfect species in ex- 
istence. Some more modest theorists, however, 
admit the creation of some species, but assert that 
various other and more perfect species have de- 
veloped from these by a process of evolution. The 
laws that are supposed to determine this evolution- 
ary tendency in passing from species to species are 
"natural selection/' "struggle for Life," and "he- 
redity." The arguments adduced in favor of 
these theories are derived from the variability of 
plant and animal life, from embryology and from 
comparative anatomy. 

Without going into detail in deciding this radi- 
cal controversy between Revelation and Evolution, 
it will suffice here to say, (1) that the theory of 
spontaneous generation has been disproved by the 
scientific discoveries of Pasteur and others, (2) 
that no evolutionary process has ever been known 
to develop a new species, but that on the contrary, 



PANTHEISM. 283 

every experiment to substantiate this claim has 
thus far failed. 

39. Pantheism. 

Pantheism is the theory which identifies the 
universe with God. As the evolutionists try to ex- 
plain the origin and development of life from mat- 
ter without the interference of God, so pantheists 
avoid these questions entirely by identifying God 
with the visible world. Hence Pantheism asserts 
not only the eternity of matter, but also the 
eternity of life. In fact, it identifies matter and 
life, and explains the development of life as so 
many phases or manifestations of the divinity of 
nature. If Pantheism does not dispel all doubt 
from the mind of man, it certainly ought to free 
him of all qualms of conscience. For what greater 
solace could a violator of the Decalogue desire than 
this consoling reflection, "Why, it is God who does 
this, and God cannot sin !" 

If Pantheism were true, then every flower in 
the field, every bird of the air would be eternal. 
"They would at the same time," says Hettinger, 
"be free and necessary, conscious and unconscious, 
intellectual and non-intellectual." The individual- 
ity of every creature would be merged in that of 
the divine universe as a drop of water is lost in 
the ocean. Pantheism, moreover, teaches that man 
possesses universal truth, that thought and being 
are identical, and that an absolute thought or rea? 
son exists independently of the mind. Pantheism 



284 TEE TRUE RELIGION OF TO-DAY. 

contains so many self-evident contradictions that 
the only explanation for the fascination which it 
has exercised over some minds must be sought in 
the words of St. Paul to the Romans, "As they 
liked not to have God in their knowledge, God 
delivered them up to a reprobate sense" (Rom. i. 
28). 

40. Socialism. 

In daily life the word Socialism is often used 
to designate any theory of political economy rang- 
ing from anarchism on the one extreme to mere 
state control of public utilities on the other. As 
the system of Carl Marx, however, which is called 
"Social Democracy," it may be denned as, "That 
communism which advocates the inviolable own- 
ership of all capital by the state, as also the public 
administration of all goods, and the distribution 
of all produce by the democratic state." Socialism 
is the outgrowth of Pantheism. It advocates the 
equality of rights in the concrete, justifies rebellion 
against existing governments and emphatically 
insists on the abolition of all religion. 

One glance suffices to discover the atheistic spirit 
and the materialistic cravings of this child of the 
nineteenth century. No wonder Socialism con- 
siders the Catholic Church her greatest enemy. 
For the Catholic Church has ever been the cham- 
pion of truth and justice, as well as of the inalien- 
able rights of individuals. The Church recognizes 
many evils in the world. But she ever has a 



RELIGIOUS INDIFFERENCE. 285 

remedy which is in accordance with human na- 
ture. She teaches that all men have equal right to 
salvation, but that no two persons are mentally, 
morally, physically, socially or commercially alike, 
and consequently that no two individuals have the 
same rights in the concrete. She teaches that God 
not only gave man right to acquire private prop- 
erty, but that He also said, "Thou shalt not steal," 
"Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's goods." 

The remedy which the Church advocates for the 
violation of the law is the very opposite of that 
proposed by Socialism. Socialism deifies the state. 
The Church, on the other hand, says : "Make man 
free with the liberty of a child of God. First teach 
him his duty towards his Lord and Maker. For 
only in proportion as man knows, respects, fears, 
loves God, will he be just and charitable towards 
his neighbor." 

41. Religious Indifference. 

.Religious indifference is an insensibility towards 
spiritual things. By the proper use of a telescope 
a person may obtain a correct impression of dis- 
tant objects, but by reversing the same even adja- 
cent things assume a diminutive proportion. It 
is the same with the view man takes of spiritual 
things. If he considers them with the eye of faith, 
God, heaven, and eternity absorb his entire atten- 
tion. But if he observes them only with the eyes 
of the world, even his immortal soul and his dig- 
nity as a child of God seem of no consequence. 



286 THE TRUE RELIGION OF TODAY. 

Unfortunately, many persons survey the super- 
natural with this inverted telescope of life, and 
thus become indifferent to the true value of spir- 
itual things. 

Four causes are assigned for this inconsistent 
conduct. They are pride, avarice, sensuality, and 
human respect. A person may be so absorbed in 
his own sufficiency that he can see nothing precious 
outside himself. He may have allowed the ten- 
drils of his affections to twine around earthly 
things so tightly that he cannot even fix his 
thoughts on anything else. He may have become 
so inebriated with the pleasures of his fleeting life 
that he has even become spiritually unconscious. 
Or he may have become the slave of human respect 
to the extent that, out of fear of displeasing man, 
he deliberately shuts out the divine light from his 
soul and becomes a traitor to his own conscience. 

Whichever the cause may be that leads man to 
religious indifference, the consequence is the 
same. Misfortune is ever the recompense of re- 
ligious indifferentism. There is no real peace of 
mind or heart, no true happiness for this spiritual 
suicide. His conscience will give him no rest dur- 
ing life, and the punishment of God awaits him in 
eternity. 

The only remedy for religious indifference is to 
turn to Jesus Christ. He is the great teacher of 
mankind. He gives man the true idea of the 
value of his soul, of the malice of sin, of the tor- 
ments of hell and of the beauties of heaven. He 



FORBIDDEN SOCIETIES. 287 

is the anchor that secures all of good will 
against presumption and despair. By the sacri- 
fices He has made and by the trials He has en- 
dured for the love of mankind, He has become a 
furnace of divine charity that can make the coldest 
heart glow with fervor. 

"Lord, save us, or we perish" (Matt. viii. 25). 

42. Forbidden Societies. 

The Catholic Church forbids her members to 
join certain societies, because they are harmful. 
Three societies are necessary and instituted by 
God. They are the family, the state, and the 
Church. Other societies are of human origin. 
They may be beneficial, indifferent or harmful. 
They are beneficial if they aid the individual, the 
family, the state or the Church. Four societies 
existing in the United States have been expressly 
declared by the Church to be harmful to the spir- 
itual welfare of her members and therefore for- 
bidden. They are the Free Masons, the Odd Fel- 
lows, the Knights of. Pythias, and the Sons of 
Temperance. The Papal Delegate has repeatedly 
declared that the auxiliaries of these societies 
share in their condemnation. 

(1) These societies have a chaplain and a re- 
ligious ritual. They are, therefore, religious so- 
cieties. Now, since no one can be a practical mem- 
ber of two opposite religious societies, Catholics 
are forbidden to belong to these four societies and 
their auxiliaries. 



288 THE TRUE RELIGION OF TODAY. 

(2) These societies enslave the mind and con- 
science of their members by insisting on absolute 
secrecy and obedience. 

(3) These societies usually furnish "bad com- 
pany" for any religious man or woman. 

The Machabees, the Woodmen of America, the 
Red Men, and several other modern societies are 
organizations very similar to the ones forbidden. 

43. Modern Superstitions. 

Modern superstition consists in offering God a 
false worship. We have seen before (1) that man 
owes God the debt of Religion, and that he must 
pay it as God prescribes; (2) that superstition 
is of two kinds. The one consists in offering divine 
honor to creatures; the other in paying the debt 
of Religion as man pleases and not as God has 
prescribed. The heathens were guilty of the for- 
mer kind of superstition, which is called idolatry. 
Many persons of our day are guilty of the second 
kind of superstition by the practice of "false wor- 
ship," which is a human counterfeit of the one 
true Religion established by Jesus Christ. 

Not many years ago it was the rule with non- 
Catholic writers to accuse Catholics not only of 
superstition, but even of idolatry. Even in our 
own day a benighted person of this kind makes 
his appearance from time to time. He might no 
doubt profit by pondering those words of St. Paul, 
"Thou art inexcusable, man, whoever thou art 
that judgest. For wherein thou judges t another, 



MODERN SUPERSTITIONS. 289 

thou condemnest thyself. For thou dost the same 
thing thou judgest" (Eom. ii. 1). 

From a Catholic standpoint, every form of re- 
ligion different from the one true Eeligion estab- 
lished by Jesus Christ is objective superstition. 
"False worship" is modern superstition. As 
Catholics do not judge their neighbor's mind and 
heart, which are unknown, but only the system 
which he advocates, they do not condemn their 
neighbor as wilfully guilty of this superstitious 
practice. On the contrary, Catholics pray for their 
separated brethren so that the time may come soon 
when there will be but one flock and one Shepherd. 

It may be of interest to review the various 
churches of human origin which have sprung up 
since the time of Jesus Christ. We shall try to 
give the name, the founder, the date of origin, and 
the specific false doctrine or practice of the prin- 
cipal ones. 

Two things strike one in studying these human 
systems of Eeligion. 

(1) That the same errors and lax morals are 
inculcated from time to time. 

(2) That history represents those founders 
who apostatized from the Catholic Church as per- 
sons lacking in morals; that the first impulse to 
their separation from the mother Church came 
from either pride, greed, or sensuality. May this, 
perhaps, explain why so many of them insisted 
on justification by faith alone? 



290 THE TRUE RELIGION OF TO-DAY. 

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300 THE TRUE RELIGION OF TO-DAY. 



II. Obligations Emphasized by the True 
Eeligion. 

i. Right and Duty. 

Right is the inviolable moral liberty of a person 
to exercise dominion over his own actions and pos- 
sessions. In the visible world man alone possesses 
this moral power. He alone can therefore have 
rights in the strict sense of the word. These rights 
consist in those moral powers of man which all 
other persons are bound inviolably to respect. 
Every right has three characteristic properties, 
viz.: (1) Its extent is defined by law, human or 
divine. (2) It ceases when it conflicts with the 
evident right of another person. (3) It always 
includes the authority of lawful defense. A duty 
is the moral obligation of respecting the rights of 
others. It consists either in doing or in omitting 
something according as the law of God or the law 
of man prescribes. Being a correlative of right, 
duty has corresponding characteristics. (1) Its 
extent is defined by law. (2) It ceases with the 
corresponding right of others. (3) It is personal 
and obliges an individual even when others neglect 
or refuse to do their duty. (4) It directs man to 
his final end. Hence a wilful omission of a duty 
is a rebellion against God and constitutes a moral 
evil. 



SOURCE AND OBLIGATION OF DUTY. 301 

2. Source and Obligation of Duty. 

God is the source of all right and duty. He 
gave man his moral liberty. He made man a 
social being. He placed the limit to the exercise 
of human liberty by obliging man to live in ac- 
cordance with the position which he occupies in 
the economy of creation. Hence St. Paul rightly 
says, "There is no power but from God ; and those 
that are, are ordained of God" (Eom. xiii. 1). 

The position which man occupies in the econ- 
omy of creation imposes on him a threefold duty, 
viz. : ( 1 ) The duty of Religion towards God as 
man's Creator, Benefactor, Lawgiver, and Final 
End. (2) The duty of personal perfection, oblig- 
ing him as a free agent to strive after physical, 
intellectual, and moral perfection. (3) The duty 
of charity, obliging him to aid his neighbor to 
perfection, not only by abstaining from doing him 
harm, but also by positively helping him to work 
out his destiny. 

Man's first duty is to know his duty. He is 
bound by his very nature to use moral diligence 
in learning his duty towards God, his neighbor, 
and himself. The first evidence of a practical good 
will is therefore the desire to know the whole truth 
of man's obligations. A person who is concerned 
only with his rights manifests an inordinate self- 
love and neglects his first duty as a moral being. 

3. Law: Its Relation to Right and Duty. 

In a wide sense law is defined as the rule or 



302 TEE TRUE RELIGION OF TO-DAY. 

measure of things to be done or omitted. In this 
sense law includes even those divine decrees which 
regulate the material creation. These are called 
the physical laws. As a rule and measure of moral 
conduct, however, law is a just rule of action 
authoritatively promulgated for the common wel- 
fare. In this sense it may be promulgated either 
by God Himself or by a human agent acting in 
His name. The divine law naturally exists in 
God's eternal mind and is promulgated by Him in 
the heart of every human being that attains the 
use of reason. The positive moral law of God 
was promulgated especially by Moses, Jesus Christ, 
and the Apostles. Human law may be ecclesiasti- 
cal, national or international according to the 
source from which it emanates. 

Law is the rule and the measure of all right and 
duty. Law prescribes whatever should be done or 
omitted because it is just. Whatever is one per- 
son's just right imposes the correlative just debt 
or duty on others to respect the same. Law may 
also be said to be the secondary source of right 
and duty. For as the first principles of right and 
duty are dictated by the natural law, so many 
doubtful rights and duties are defined and estab- 
lished by positive law. 

4. Necessity and Obligation of Law. 

Law is necessary for every moral agent. It is 
man's guide on his pilgrimage to heaven. It is 
the test of man's fidelity in the service of God, as 



CONSCIENCE: ITS OBLIGATIONS. 303 

well as the measure of his reward. Law points out 
the way of man's perfection. It lays down the 
rule of equity and justice which man must ob- 
serve in dealing with his fellow man. It neces- 
sarily regulates man's conduct towards his God, 
his neighbor and even towards himself. 

Every just law imposes a moral obligation of 
action or omission. It places a limit to the exer- 
cise of human liberty. It constrains the human 
will, not by violence, but by holding it accountable 
to the supreme Lawgiver. It binds the human 
conscience under pain of moral guilt to respect 
the just rights of God and His creatures. 

5. Conscience: Its Obligations. 

Conscience is the practical judgment of the 
mind regarding the morality of a particular action. 
The first principles of right and duty God has 
engraven on every human heart. These principles 
a prudent man will apply in daily life even in 
most perplexing circumstances. The judgment of 
the mind by which the principles of morality are 
applied to an action clothed in all its circum- 
stances is called conscience. Like a balance, the 
human mind weighs the evidence of right and 
duty. If it is prudent, it invariably dictates its 
judgment in accordance with the weight of 
evidence. That is called a right conscience. 
If the judgment corresponds with the objec- 
tive truth, it is called a true conscience. 
Sincerity and truth are the treasures prized 



304 THE TRUE RELIGION OF TODAY. 

by all of good will. The God of good will 
has intended the upright judgment of a tender 
conscience to be man's immediate guide in daily 
life. For if that judgment declares man in pos- 
session of his right to act as he pleases then 
"blessed is he that condemneth not himself in 
that which he alloweth" (Rom. xiv. 22). But 
if conscience declares man bound by just law and 
he refuse to do his duty, he does wrong. "For 
all that is not of faith [according to the dictates 
of an honest conscience] is sin" (Kom. xiv. 23). 

The first obligation of conscience is a tender 
solicitude in cultivating a true conscience. That 
step is not only the assurance of an honest mind 
and a willing heart, it is the safeguard of man's 
moral integrity. It is the first step on the way of 
moral rectitude. It is as much an obligation of 
man's very nature as the preservation of his life. 

Two things contribute to the formation of a 
true conscience, knowledge in the mind, self-con- 
trol over the heart. In proportion as man pro- 
gresses in this way will the dictates of his con- 
science also become more and more conformable 
to the mind of God. 

6. Obstacles to the Formation of a True 
Conscience. 

Ignorance, passion and human respect oppose 
the formation of a true conscience. Ignorance is 
a lack of due knowledge. It may be actual, as in 



OBSTACLES TO A TRUE CONSCIENCE. 305 

the case of inadvertence and forgetfulness, or 
habitual from a want of proper information. The 
worst ignorance that can darken the mind of man 
is that which is not only deficient in knowledge 
but filled besides with positive prejudice and 
error. The object of this ignorance may be the 
existence of a moral law or the particular applica- 
tion of the same. The ignorance itself may be 
vincible or invincible, according as it may be over- 
come at the time. All ignorance is sinful in pro- 
portion as it is wilful. Passion, or concupiscence, 
is the rebellion of the sensitive nature against the 
dictates of right reason. This rebellion is original- 
ly the result of the sin of our first parents. When 
the incentives of passion precede the formation of 
conscience they not only inflame the will, but 
also disturb the judgment of the mind, so as to 
make a true conscience impossible. There are 
eleven of these passions, viz., love, hatred, desire, 
aversion, delight, sadness, hope, despair, fear, pre- 
sumption, and anger. 

Human respect is that moral cowardice which 
induces man to please his fellow man rather than 
almighty God. It results from an inconsiderate 
desire of present peace with man and the world in 
preference to the future peace with God., It is 
a species of fear. A moral coward of this kind 
fears more the present ridicule, reproach or vio- 
lence of his neighbor than the loss of his dignity 
as a moral agent or as a Christian. Human re- 
spect makes men traitors to their conscience and 



306 TEE TRUE RELIGION OF TO-DAY, 

leads to the greatest excess, as in the case of 
Pontius Pilate. It earns the just contempt of 
honest men, as well as the punishment of God. 
"He that feareth man shall quickly fall" (Prov. 
xxix. 25). 

7. Moral Goodness : Its Sources. 

Moral goodness arises from the conformity of 
an action with moral law as applied by an honest 
conscience. Free volition and liberty of action 
are the foundation of all morality. But the de- 
liberate shaping of one's conduct according to the 
dictates of conscience constitutes its moral good- 
ness. 

There may be three sources of moral goodness 
in a concrete action. They are the object, the in- 
tention, and the circumstances. For an action to 
be morally good it must be objectively in accord- 
ance with law or the dictates of right reason. It 
must subjectively be performed with a good in- 
tention. The circumstances of time, place, person, 
manner, and means that accompany the action 
must likewise be in accordance with right reason. 
If an action which possesses these sources of moral 
goodness is performed out of love for God it be- 
comes supernaturally good and meritorious for 
heaven. Such actions the Saviour inculcated when 
He said, "Lay up treasure which neither the rust 
nor the moths can destroy, which cannot be dug 
up and stolen by thieves" (Matt. vi. 20). 



WHAT TO DO IN A DOUBT. 307 

8. What To Do in a Doubt. 

A doubt is a suspension of the judgment of the 
mind caused by a lack of evidence of the morality 
of an action. A serious reason for doubting 
constitutes a practical doubt. It is wrong to 
disregard a practical doubt of this kind. For "he 
that loves the danger will perish in it" (Eccl. iii. 
27). The sensible thing to do in such a predica- 
ment is to remain on the safe side till more evi- 
dence is obtained. Then the doubt will disappear 
like the mist before the rising sun. If right and 
duty are still doubtful after all possible evidence 
has been obtained, moral certainty of the one or 
of the other may be obtained by applying the fol- 
lowing reflex principles: (1) "The presumption is 
in favor of the power in possession/' (2) "A doubt- 
ful law cannot impose a certain obligation/' Lib- 
erty is in possession till it is limited in its ex- 
ercise by an evident law. Then the presumption 
favors the law, until the same is rendered doubtful, 
when liberty again obtains its freedom. Take, for 
example, a doubt in regard to Friday abstinence. 
On Thursday night the presumption favors liberty 
till it is evidently midnight. But on Friday night 
the presumption equally favors the law up to the 
same hour. The threefold danger of error, sin, and 
injury may present itself with a practical doubt 
regarding the morality of an action. If moral 
diligence is used to find the truth, the error that 
remains becomes invincible and inculpable. By 



308 THE TRUE RELIGION OF TO-DAY. 

means of the reflex principles all danger of sin 
arising from a doubt of law is set aside and a 
prudent rule of action is formed. But where a 
danger of physical or spiritual injury presents 
itself, which must be avoided, prudence and char- 
ity demand that we choose the safer side in a 
practical doubt. This obligation of choosing the 
safer side is binding (1) in the administration of 
the sacraments, (2) in choosing the necessary 
means of salvation, (3) in avoiding the proximate 
occasions of sin, (4) in avoiding unnecessary dan- 
ger to health and life, (5) in interfering with a 
neighbor's spiritual or temporal rights. 

9. The Decalogue. 

The Decalogue consists of the ten command- 
ments promulgated by God through Moses. The 
ten commandments emphasize the principal duties 
imposed on man by the natural law. They are: 

1. I am the Lord thy God, thou shalt not have 
strange gods before Me. 

2. Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord 
thy God in vain. 

3. Eemember thou keep holy the Sabbath day. 

4. Honor thy father and thy mother. 

5. Thou shalt not kill. 

6. Thou shalt not commit adultery. 

7. Thou shalt not steal. 

8. Thou shalt not bear false witness against 
thy neighbor. 



PROFAXE WORDS. 309 

9. Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's wife. 
10. Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's goods. 

io. "I Am the Lord thy God." 

By the first commandment God forbids infidel- 
ity, idolatry, superstition, false worship, and ir- 
religion. By the same commandment does He in- 
culcate the practice of the true Eeligion by culti- 
vating the virtues of divine faith, hope, and char- 
ity. The first homage that man can render God 
is to accept His word. This he does by practising 
faith. The second homage man should render 
God is to trust in the promises which, in His 
goodness and mercy, He has made to man. This 
homage man renders to God by the practice of 
hope. Man has the best of reasons to hope for life 
eternal as well as for the means conducive to that 
end. Finally, man owes God the debt of filial 
love. The test of this love, as the Saviour Himself 
says, is the keeping of the commandments. 

ii. Profane Words. 

Profane words are such as show an irreverence 
to God and sacred things. They are of four kinds : 
(1) Vain or unreasonable use of holy names. (2) 
Blasphemy. (3) Eash, false or unjust oaths. (4) 
Cursing. The name of God, of His saints and 
angels, as well as of things specially consecrated 
to Him, are naturally dear to God. Filial piety, 
therefore, suggests that man should not use these 
names lightly, that is, without a reasonable pur- 



310 THE TRUE RELIGIOX OF TO-DAY. 

pose. Blasphemy is even a greater sin than the 
vain use of holy names. It consists in using lan- 
guage which is directly insulting to God. An 
oath is asking God to witness the truth of an as- 
sertion or the sincerity of a promise. When rev- 
erently and reasonably taken, an oath is lawful to 
emphasize sincerity and truth. But if taken with- 
out reason, an oath is a vain use of God's name. If 
used to testify to a falsehood, an oath becomes a 
perjury. When used to strengthen an unjust 
promise, an oath is not only sinful in itself, but 
more sinful in keeping that promise. Cursing 
consists in wishing evil to any one. When em- 
phasized by the invocation of God's holy name, it 
is a perverse use of the privilege of prayer, a vain 
and blasphemous use of God's name, as well as an 
offence against fraternal charity. 

12. The Lord's Day : Sabbath or Sunday. 

The third commandment obliges man to sanctify 
one of the seven days of the week in a special man- 
ner. Reason prescribes that man should conse- 
crate some time to God by divine worship. But 
reason does not say when this is to be done or 
how much time is to be devoted to divine worship. 
By His positive law, however, God insisted on the 
sanctification of the Sabbath, or seventh day of the 
week. On this day He Himself rested after the 
Bix days of creative work. From the beginning 
of the world till after the introduction of Chris- 
tianity the Sabbath was specially sacred to God's 



THE DUTIES OF CHILDREN. 311 

people. The first Christians, besides, kept Sunday 
holy also, because on that day the Saviour rose 
from the dead, and the Holy Ghost came down 
upon the Apostles. Later on, however, a dispute 
arose between the Jewish and the Gentile converts 
respecting the day which must be kept holy. 
Many of the Jewish converts maintained that all 
converts were bound by the entire law of Moses. 
To remove this erroneous impression, and to free 
her children from the ceremonial law of Moses, 
the Church decreed in the Council of Laodicea 
(A.D. 336) that all Catholics should keep holy 
Sunday as "the Lord's day" (Apoc. i. 10), as had 
been done since Apostolic times (Acts xx. 7 ; 1 Cor. 
xvi. 2). This change the Church was authorized 
to make by the power conferred upon her by Jesus 
Christ when He said, "All power is given to M® 
in heaven and on earth" (Matt, xxviii. 18). As 
the Father hath sent Me, so I send you" (John xx. 
21). 

13. The Duties of Children. 

The fourth commandment emphasizes the nat- 
ural obligation of children to honor, love and obey 
their parents. Children should honor their par- 
ents not only in thought, but especially in word 
and action, because they are their natural super- 
iors and God's first representatives in their regard. 
This honor is proportionately due to every other 
lawful superior. The love which children owe 
their parents consists essentially in cherishing 



312 THE TRUE RELIOION OF TODAY. 

kindly feelings towards them and positively wish- 
ing and contributing to their temporal and eternal 
happiness. Obedience is due to parents because 
they occupy God's place of authority. The child 
Jesus gave all subjects an example of obedience by 
going down to Nazareth with His parents, where 
"He was subject to them" (Luke ii. 51). Chil- 
dren must obey their parents as long as they are 
under their care. But their debt of grateful love 
and reverence is of obligation throughout life. 

14. Catholic Education. 

As the visible guardian angels of their children, 
parents are bound by their very nature to care 
for them. This care must extend itself not 
only to the development of the body, but also of 
the 6oul. The mind of the child must receive in- 
struction to prepare it for the battle of life. The 
education of the heart is most essential. It alone 
can make man a true child of God and heir to the 
kingdom of heaven. 

According to the law of nature the education 
of the child belongs primarily to the parents and 
not to the state. The family is prior to the state. 
Hence the rights and duties of the parents take 
precedence to those of the state. Nature, besides, 
has implanted in the parent a watchful solicitude 
for the welfare of their children, which enables 
them to make those sacrifices which are necessary 
for their education. 

At an early age parents should instil in the 



DUTIES OF SUPERIORS AND INFERIORS. 313 

minds and hearts of their children the germs of 
the knowledge and of the love of God. These must 
be fostered as the child develops, so that, like the 
child Jesus, it may "advance in wisdom, and age, 
and grace with God and men" (Luke ii. 52). 

It is especially by their good example that par- 
ents shield their children from harm, aid them 
to form a good character, to acquire useful habits 
and to love their holy Eeligion. Let parents, 
therefore, never relax their loving vigilance over 
their children as long as they are under their care. 
Having gained their fullest confidence at an early 
age, let them increase the same day by day by 
living and acting as the real guardian angels of 
their children. 

15. Duties of Superiors and Inferiors. 

Masters and employers owe their servants and 
employees just wages, kind treatment and a general 
supervision of their conduct. Servants and em- 
ployees, on their part, owe their masters and em- 
ployers faithful service, due respect and obedience. 

Teachers owe their pupils sound doctrine, dis- 
interested love and good example. Pupils owe 
their teachers diligence in studies, docility, rev- 
erence and love in their conduct and recitations. 
Magistrates must consult and protect the interests 
of their subjects. While citizens are bound by the 
natural law to respect and obey their rulers. As 
the right to vote is a participation in the sov- 
ereignty of the state, every Catholic has a responsi- 



314 THE TRUE RELIGION OF TODAY. 

bility in this matter. As our Holy Father, Pius 
X., pointed out in a recent encyclical, this right 
should not be overlooked, especially in our day, 
but exercised conscientiously for the common good! 

16. General Rights and Duties. 

The fifth commandment emphasizes the right of 
every individual to life, liberty, and the pursuit 
of happiness. By saying "Thou shalt not kill," it 
at the same time declares it the universal duty of 
mankind to abstain from inflicting any physical, 
moral or social harm upon a neighbor. It is sin- 
ful, therefore, not only to take human life, but also 
to do bodily harm to self or others, to give scandal 
or to hate and persecute a neighbor. The state 
alone has authority to destroy individual human 
life by way of capital punishment for enormous 
crimes, of which the individuals have been fairly 
convicted. The state may also wage a just war. 
An individual, however, would do wrong in pro- 
moting a war which is unjust or unnecessary to 
maintain the moral order among nations. When 
an individual is unjustly attacked, he may defend 
life, limb, and valuable possessions even at the 
sacrifice of the life of his unjust aggressor if this 
is the only available means of escaping from a 
present danger. 

17. Purity in Daily Life. 
The sixth and ninth commandments are of the 
greatest importance. They emphasize the virtues 



PRIVATE OWNERSHIP. 315 

which safeguard the propagation of the human 
race. The sixth forbids to married persons the 
perversion of their marriage rights. To the single 
it forbids every kind of sexual gratification. The 
ninth forbids to both married and single all wilful 
thoughts and desires of gratification forbidden by 
the sixth commandment. All words, looks and 
actions which tend directly to the impurity for- 
bidden by these commandments are also forbid- 
den by the same. There are three reasons for this : 
(1) They are a violation of the virtues of purity 
and modesty. (2) They are the proximate occa- 
sion of other sins of impurity. (3) They give 
scandal. Hence St. Paul says, "All uncleanliness 
— let it not so much as be named among you" 
(Eph. v. 31). 

The principal safeguards of holy purity are: 
(1) A firm determination to keep the imagination 
pure by vigilance in seeing, hearing and associa- 
tion. (2) Associating with the pure of heart. (3) 
Praying daily for divine aid, especially by fervent 
devotion to the immaculate Virgin Mary. (4*) 
Frequentation of the sacraments. 

18. Private Ownership. 

Man has a personal right to acquire and to pos- 
sess property. God, who gave man life, gave 
him likewise the right to acquire and to possess 
those material things that are conducive to the 
preservation and enjoyment of life. He did even 
more. By holding man responsible for the future 



316 THE TRUE RELIGION OF TODAY. 

of those dependent upon him He gave man the 
right to accumulate property for that purpose. 

God is the first owner and proprietor of all 
things. Man may become the secondary owner in 
various ways. The primitive source of ownership 
is called first occupancy. It consists in taking 
possession of unappropriated goods. This title is 
evidently strengthened by the improvements which 
the possessor makes by the expenditure of labor 
and capital. The usual way, however, of acquiring 
property in our day is by purchase, donation, and 
testament. In the very early ages man's right to 
private property was recognized and used. Thus 
Cain owned a field and Abel owned cattle, for 
Scripture tells us that one offered "the fruits of 
the earth," and the other "offered of the firstlings 
of Tits flock" (Gen. iv. 3, 4). This right to private 
property has universally been recognized by people 
of all times. Hence God, who is its Author, also 
emphasized this right of the individual by com- 
manding his neighbor to respect it, saying : "Thou 
shalt not steal," "Thou shalt not covet thy neigh- 
bor's goods." 

19. Justice. 

The seventh and the tenth commandments em- 
phasize the right of the individual to the material 
goods which he has lawfully acquired. Under 
material goods are understood all things of com- 
mercial value. They include: (1) Immovable goods, 
such as lands, mining interests, railroads, etc. (2) 



THOU SHALT NOT BEAR FALSE WITNESS. 317 

Movable goods, such as money, articles of food, 
clothing, furniture, etc. (3) Bodily and mental 
labor, by which material goods may be lawfully 
acquired. 

Justice is violated: (1) By taking the property 
of another. (2) By wanton destruction of an- 
other's property. (3) By neglect to care for the 
goods of another in one's charge. (4) By neg- 
lecting to pay honest debts. (5) By disabling a 
person or otherwise depriving him of his work. 
Reason teaches that injustice is not repaired by 
mere repentance. It demands that restitution be 
made. The general rules for restitution are: (1) 
If the stolen article still exists and can be re- 
stored, it must be returned to its lawful owner. 
(2) If the article has been consumed or destroyed, 
adequate compensation must be made in money or 
by some other just means. (3) If the person 
wronged and his heirs cannot be found, restitution 
must be made to God, the first owner, by devoting 
it to a charitable cause. (4) Persons who co- 
operate in an injustice individually assume the 
duty of restitution and are bound to make it if 
their co-operators are unable or refuse to do so. 

20. Thou Shalt Not Bear False Witness. 

Every person has a right to his reputation, which 
consists in the good opinion others have of him. 
This right is emphasized and defended by the 
eighth commandment. The eighth commandment 
forbids lying, calumny, detraction, violation of 



318 THE TRUE RELIGION OF TO-DAY. 

secrecy, and unjust suspicions and rash judgments. 
Lying consists in knowingly speaking or acting 
the untruth with the intention of deceiving some 
one. Lying is always wrong. God, the eternal 
Truth, says, "Lying lips are an abomination to 
the Lord" (Prov. xii. 22). The worst kind of lie 
is calumny. It injures a neighbor's good name by 
false statements concerning him. It is a great sin. 
For "a good name is more valuable than riches" 
(Prov. xxii. 11). If, therefore, the thief must 
repair the material injury done to his neighbor, 
the calumniator must certainly do the same. St. 
Francis de Sales calls calumny and detraction 
social murder. 

The eighth commandment forbids not only the 
perversion of the truth, but even the revelation of 
the same, when it would injure any one without 
cause. If the good name of the individual, the 
honor of the family, or the welfare of the state 
demand that a secret be kept, a prudent evasion 
may be used to conceal the truth. The lessening 
of a neighbor's good name without a just cause by 
revealing his faults in his absence is called 
detraction. A just cause for revealing a 
neighbor's faults would be to protect the rights 
of others, or to correct the fault of the guilty 
one. The lessening of a neighbor's honor in 
his presence by contemptuous words or actions 
is called contumely or insult. A violation of 
secrecy takes place in the betrayal of a natural, a 
promised or an entrusted secret, as also by ex- 



THE PRECEPT 8. 319 

ploring the secrets of others by unlawful means 
or for unlawful ends. 

Our neighbor has a right to our good opinion. 
We should, therefore, be on our guard not to in- 
jure him even by unjust suspicion and rash judg- 
ments. Unless we are responsible for others, we 
never have a right to judge our neighbors. "Judge 
not, that you may not be judged" (Matt. vii. 11), 
says Our Saviour. If we have the responsibility of 
others, we ought to be watchful, we may be 
cautious, but we are never dispensed from charity 
and, therefore, dare not be rash or unjust. 

2i. Can the Church Make Laws? — "The 
Precepts." 

As a divine society, the Church has a double 
right to make laws. For every society has the 
right to enact such laws as are conducive to its 
welfare. In addition to this natural right, the 
Church possesses a divine right to legislate for her 
children. This right was conferred upon her by 
her divine Founder, when He said, "As the Father 
hath sent Me, I also send you" (John xx. 21). 

The laws which the Church has enacted to guide 
her members to salvation are contained in her col- 
lection of Canon Law. Most of these laws regu- 
late the conduct of her clergy in preaching the 
word of God, administering the sacraments, con- 
ducting divine services, governing the faithful and 
managing the ecclesiastical property. 

The principal laws which apply to the faithful 



320 THE TRUE RELIGION OF TO-DAY. 

in general are six in number and are usually called 
"the Precepts of the Church." As the ten com- 
mandments emphasize man's duties as a creature 
of God, so these precepts emphasize man's special 
duties as a child of God, a brother of Jesus Christ, 
and an heir to the kingdom of heaven. They are 
rather a summary of a Catholic's natural obliga- 
tions than mere positive laws. For by them 
Mother Church indicates the lowest standard con- 
sistent with Catholic practice. They are: 

1. To hear Mass on Sundays and holidays of 
obligation. 

2. To fast and abstain on the days appointed. 

3. To confess at least once a year. 

4. To receive the Holy Eucharist during the 
Easter time. 

5. To contribute to the support of our pastors. 

6. Not to marry persons who are not Catholics 
or who are related to us within the fourth degree 
of kindred, nor privately without witnesses, nor 
to solemnize marriage at forbidden times. 

22. Hearing Mass. 

Two reasons may be given why Catholics should 
hear Mass at least on Sundays. The one is derived 
from the necessity of true worship, the other from 
the necessity of Christ's merits for a Christian life. 
A Catholic must hear Mass because only in union 
with Jesus Christ in this sacrifice of the New 
Law can he worship God in a way worthy of Him 
and acceptable to Him. Holy Mass is the un- 



FAST AND ABSTINENCE. 321 

bloody continuation of the sacrifice of the cross. 
In union with Jesus in this sacrifice will man's 
adoration be pleasing, his thanksgiving acceptable, 
his prayer favorable, and his satisfaction adequate. 
Moreover, the merits of Calvary are dispensed 
from the altar. To strengthen himself for the 
daily warfare of life, man must share in those 
merits. He should, therefore, assist at holy Mass 
at least on Sundays, when he is obliged to worship 
God in a special manner. Hence holy Church, as 
a kind mother, reminds her children of their obli- 
gation towards God and themselves, by command- 
ing them to assist at holy Mass at least on the 
Lord's day and holidays of obligation. The 
holidays of obligation in the United States are 
(1) Christmas, (2) New Year's Day, (3) Ascen- 
sion Day, (4) the Feast of the Assumption of the 
Blessed Virgin Mary, (5) All Saints' Day, (6) 
the Feast of the Immaculate Conception of the 
Blessed Virgin Mary, under which title the Mother 
of God is the special patron of the Catholic Church 
in the United States. 

23. Fast and Abstinence. 

Catholics fast and abstain to comply with those 
words of the Saviour when He said: "If any 
man will come after Me, let him deny himself and 
take up his cross and follow Me" (Matt. xvi. 24). 
Every one that makes a systematic effort to be 
good has discovered the truth of St. Paul's words 
that "The flesh lusteth against the spirit" (Gal. 



322 THE TRUE RELIGION OF TO-DAY. 

v. 17). If we live according to the inclination of 
the spirit, we shall be spiritual ; but if we live ac- 
cording to the inclinations of the flesh, we shall 
be carnal. A spiritual life is absolutely necessary 
to avoid hell and gain heaven. Hence the Church 
again says to us as a kind mother,"Children, self- 
denial is absolutely necessary. Christ insists on it 
as the first requisite of His disciples. The least 
that you can do, therefore, in showing yourself 
His disciples is to fast and abstain on the days 
appointed." 

The law of fasting (1) binds all Catholics from 
the age of 21 to 60, (2) on all week-days of Lent, 
on the Ember days and on the vigils of the Feast of 
Christmas, Pentecost, the Assumption of the 
Blessed Virgin, and All Saints. (3) The fast con- 
sists in taking one full meal at dinner, not more 
than two ounces of food at breakfast, and not 
more than eight ounces of solid food at the even- 
ing meal. 

The law of abstinence (1) forbids the use of 
flesh meat (2) to all who have attained the use of 
reason, (3) on all fast-days and all Fridays of the 
year, excepting when Christmas falls on a Friday. 

The dispensations which are granted in this 
country are annually announced in every church 
at the beginning of the Lenten season. Total ab- 
stinence from alcoholic drinks, and other acts of 
6elf-denial and penitential works are equally meri- 
torious and praiseworthy. St. Paul said of him- 
self, "I chastise my body and bring it into sub- 



THE ANNUAL CONFESSION. 323 

jection, lest perhaps, when I have preached to 
others, I myself should become a castaway" (1 
Cor. ix. 27). 

24. The Annual Confession. 

To safeguard the spiritual life, Catholics are 
commanded to confess at least once a year. Con- 
fession is not only a means of forgiveness, but also 
of perseverance. As a sacrament it is pre-eminent- 
ly the sacrament of God's infinite mercy. Holy 
Church is both a kind and experienced mother. 
She has ever the welfare of her children at heart. 
She knows that in the trials and sufferings of life 
her children are apt to lose sight of the value of 
spiritual things and thus become the slaves of 
some bad habits. She is also mindful of the 
Saviour's words regarding the abuse of God's 
mercy, "He that shall blaspheme against the Holy 
Ghost shall never have forgiveness" (Mark iii. 29). 
To guard her children, therefore, not only against 
evil habits, but especially against the irreparable 
evil of abusing God's mercy, holy Church insists 
that they go to confession at least once a year. 
"All the faithful of both sexes, after they have 
arrived at the age of discretion, shall once a year 
faithfully confess all their sins privately to a 
proper priest" (IV. C. of Lat. can. 21). 

25. The Easter Communion. 

To have the means and the assurance of eternal 
life, Catholics are commanded to receive holy com- 



324 TEE TRUE RELIGION OF TO-DAY. 

munion at least once a year, and that during the 
Easter time. Two sayings of Our Lord are very 
clear on this point. He says: "I am the living 
Bread which came down from heaven. If any man 
eat of this Bread he shall live forever" (John vi. 
51). "Amen, amen, I say to you, except you eat 
the flesh of the Son of man and drink His blood, 
you shall not have life in you. He that eateth 
My flesh and drinketh My blood hath everlasting 
life, and I will raise him up on the last day" (John 
vi. 54). Every Christian wants to be a friend of 
God during life, or at least have the assurance 
of being with Him in heaven. In holy communion 
the Saviour points out to adults the most effica- 
cious means of grace and offers to all of good 
will an assurance even for the next life. 

Holy Church rejoiced to see the early Christians 
nourish their souls daily with the Bread of Life. 
As this primitive fervor gradually cooled, this 
good mother, ever solicitous for her children, com- 
manded all the faithful to partake of this Bread 
of Life at least once a year. She insists on this 
holy communion being received during "the Eas- 
ter time," which in the United States extends from 
the first Sunday in Lent to Trinity Sunday. On 
Easter Sunday Christ gave us the hope of a glor- 
ious resurrection by triumphing over death itself 
and rising glorious and immortal from the grave. 
Holy Church insists so much on the fulfilment of 
this precept that she actually disowns those chil- 
dren and declares them unworthy of Christian 



SUPPORT OF RELIGION. 325 

burial who refuse to obey her in this matter. 
26. Support of Pastor, Church, and School. 

Catholics are obliged by the natural, the divine 
and the ecclesiastical law to support their pastor, 
their church, and their school. As soon as a new 
parish is organized, it becomes a separate society 
with its own rights and duties. As every society 
must provide for its own wants, every congregation 
must naturally make provision for its own pastor, 
church, and school. The pastor, who has pre- 
pared himself by years of study and prayer for the 
sacred ministry, devotes himself to the welfare of 
his people. It is not only a sign of faith, but also 
an evidence of justice and good will if the faith- 
ful contribute liberally to the interest of the 
parish. In the Old Law, God said : "I have given 
to the sons of Levi all the tithes of Israel for a 
possession, for the ministry wherewith they serve 
Me in the tabernacle of the Covenant" (Numb, 
xviii. 21). In the New Law, the Saviour declared, 
"The workman is worthy of his hire" (Matt. x. 
10). These words of the Saviour are explained 
as follows by St. Paul : "Who serveth as a soldier at 
any time at his own charges? Who planteth a 
vineyard and eateth not the fruit thereof? Who 
feedeth a flock and eateth not of the milk of the 
flock ? If we have sown unto you spiritual things, 
is it a good matter that we reap your carnal 
things ? They that serve the altar partake with 
the altar. So also the Lord ordained that they 



326 THE TRUE RELIGIOS OF TO-DAY. 

who preach the Gospel should live by the Gosper' 
(1 Cor. ix. 7-14). 

The church and school buildings are for the 
benefit of the parishioners. In the church they 
assemble for divine worship. In it they hear the 
word of God and receive the sacraments. The 
school is the nursery of the parish. Here the 
children are brought up in the knowledge and 
practice of the things that make them useful cit- 
izens and true Catholics. 

By a virtual contract, therefore, every parish is 
bound in justice to support their pastor, church, 
and schools. Every individual member of the 
parish is bound in justice to the congregation to 
contribute his proportionate share (1) for a decent 
sustenance of the pastor, (2) for the adequate 
provision of the church and its appointments, (3) 
for the maintenance of a parochial school, whether 
he has children attending or not. The necessary 
funds are usually raised in this country by pew- 
rents, voluntary subscriptions or assessments. The 
Sunday offerings which have been taken up from 
time immemorial are intended as a token of grati- 
tude to God for the blessings of the week. They 
are usually devoted to the immediate wants of the 
altar. Those who contribute to them have a special 
share in the holy sacrifice of the Mass. 

27. Marriage Impediments and Dispensations. 

To insure the spiritual and temporal welfare of 
her children, holy Church has hedged in the 



MARRIAGE IMPEDIMENTS. 327 

sanctity of the marriage tie with certain safe- 
guards called impediments. These impediments 
are summed up in her Sixth Precept. They are 
of two kinds, "diriment" and "prohibitive" im- 
pediments. The first kind makes a certain mar- 
riage invalid, the second renders it grievously sin- 
ful. 

The principal diriment impediments are (1) 
defective age, (2) physical unfitness, (3) a pre- 
vious valid marriage not dissolved by death, (4) 
a substantial error regarding the identity of the 
parties, (5) solemn vows, (6) spiritual affinity, 
(7) relationship, consanguinity and affinity to the 
fourth degree inclusively, (8) disparity of worship, 
or marriage with a non-baptized person, (9) cer- 
tain crimes of married persons, (10) violence or 
compulsion, (11) public honesty, forbidding 
marriage with the brother or sister, parent or child, 
of one's fiance, (12) clandestinity. Where this 
last law is promulgated the presence (1) of the 
parish priest of either party, and (2) of two wit- 
nesses, is required. 

The prohibitive impediments are, (1) mixed 
religion, or marriage with a baptized non-Catholic, 
(2) marriage without the three proclamations, (3) 
solemnizing marriage during forbidden times, viz., 
Lent and Advent, (4) promise of marriage to 
another, (5) simple vow of chastity. 

In the United States Catholics who marry be- 
fore a non-Catholic minister incur excommunica^ 
tion. 



328 THE TRUE RELIGION OF TO-DAY. 

A dispensation is an exemption from a marriage 
impediment. If a Catholic is determined to as- 
sume the double burden of a forbidden marriage, 
a dispensation may be granted by the Pope and 
his delegates for a grave reason. According to 
the gravity of the reason given, a dispensation 
may be obtained from the Diriment Impediments 
of collateral relationship, public honesty, spiri- 
tual affinity and disparity of worship. A less 
grave reason suffices for a dispensation from any 
of the Prohibitive Impediments. 

The grave reasons which would justify a person 
in asking and the Church in granting a dispen- 
sation from a diriment impediment, excepting 
great poverty and advanced age of a Catholic 
woman, mostly belong to that category of which 
St. Paul says that it should not so much as be 
mentioned among Christians. 

28. Divorce and Separation. 

Divorce, or the attempted dissolving of the mar- 
riage tie by civil authority, is one of the greatest 
evils of our day. It is not only a sin and a shame, 
it is a crime. "What God hath joined together let 
no man put asunder" (Matt. x. 9). This positive 
law of Jesus Christ is supported by many cogent 
reasons. (1) The Christian propagation of the 
human race requires the indissolubility of the 
marriage tie. (2) Education is jeopardized with- 
out it. (3) The natural conditions of the mar- 
riage contract are "for better or for worse, till 



CATHOLIC ETIQUETTE. 329 

death doth part." (4) The rights to property 
and of natural inheritance are interfered with by 
divorce. (5) Matrimony, like the union of Christ 
with His Church, of which it is a figure, should 
be indissoluble. (6) The perfection of the Gospel 
demands this indissolubility. (7) Especially do 
public morality and the stability of the state re- 
quire a solid foundation, which can be no other 
than the family held together by an indissoluble 
marriage tie. 

Separation, or the suspension of the actual mar- 
riage relations, may become lawful for a grave 
reason. For a temporary separation, mutual con- 
sent for the sake of health, business, etc., suffices, 
but a permanent separation is not lawful except 
for adultery or grave danger of corporal or spiri- 
tual harm. Where legal rights ought to be safe- 
guarded, such a separation may even be lawfully 
ratified by the civil court. Before a Catholic can 
conscientiously take this step, however, he is 
bound under pain of mortal sin to obtain the per- 
mission of the bishop of the diocese in which he 
resides. 

29. Catholic Etiquette. 

The entire law may be summed up in one word 
— charity. Many rules have been formulated to 
guide man in his devotion to his neighbor. Catho- 
lic etiquette prescribes in particular how charity 
should be practised in church and home, to priest 
and people. We will content ourselves here with 



330 THE TRUE RELIGION OF TODAY. 

merely stating the decalogue of Catholic etiquette 
for Sunday observance. You will avoid annoy- 
ance to others by remembering it. 

1. Make a serious effort to come to church in 
time for divine services. 

2. Do not disturb the faithful by unnecessary 
talking in the vestibule. 

3. Enter the church modestly, genuflect rev- 
erently and take the last place in the pew. 

4. Remember that, like the publican, you have 
come to the temple only to pray. 

5. Use your prayer-book or rosary-beads un- 
ostentatiously. 

6. Kneel, sit, stand or genuflect at the proper 
times. 

7. Patiently await your turn when going to 
confession and holy communion. 

8. Leave the church with modesty and recol- 
lection, not until the priest has left the altar. 

9. Always greet the pastor and sisters without 
first awaiting their salutation. 

10. Instruct your non-Catholic friends on these 
points before bringing them to Catholic services. 

30. "Be Ye Therefore Perfect." 

To grow in perfection is a law of nature as well 
as a commandment of Jesus Christ. Every indi- 
vidual creature of God tends to the perfection of 
its nature. For the lily of the field and the bird of 
the air this tendency is a physical necessity. For 
man it is partly a physical necessity and partly a 



"BE YE THEREFORE PERFECT." 331 

moral obligation. As it would be wrong for man 
deliberately to injure his physical growth, so it 
would be a greater wrong to remain in voluntary 
ignorance or become the slave of sinful habits. 
As life is necessarily a journey ever onward, so 
man's intellectual and moral upward growth should 
correspond with the development of his physical 
stature and his temporal progress. The economy 
of God's works admits of no stagnation. If man 
comes to a deliberate intellectual or moral stand- 
still, he not only puts himself at variance with the 
designs of the Almighty, but at the same time 
begins to gravitate from the eminence he has al- 
ready attained. 

The possible perfection of every creature cor- 
responds to its concrete nature. Not every man 
can attain the physical perfection of an athlete, 
nor the intellectual acumen of a St. Augustine 
or a St. Thomas. But every man has equally a 
free will and the grace of God. By freely co-oper- 
ating with the divine aid, we can all attain moral 
perfection according to the model shown us on 
the Mount. The capital is given us. The oppor- 
tunity presents itself throughout life. The prog- 
ress practically depends on our "good will/' Hence 
our dear Saviour merely emphasized a law written 
on our very nature when He commanded us say- 
ing, "Be ye therefore perfect as also your heavenly 
Father is perfect" (Matt. v. 48). 



332 THE TRUE RELIGION OF TO-DAY. 



III. Spiritual Aids Fostered by the True 
Religion. 

i. The Word of God. 

The Word of God, as we have seen, imparts the 
divine knowledge of man's origin, destiny, and 
means of salvation. Man must know the way be- 
fore he can follow it. He must have a knowledge 
of the supernatural life before he can live it. The 
Word of God communicates this knowledge. Hence 
it is of the greatest practical importance to man. 
That Word was spoken by God many, many years 
ago. However, since God loves man to-day as much 
as He did centuries ago, He has given man the in- 
fallible guidance of His Church. By her aid we can 
discern the Word of God as truly as the patriarchs 
and prophets of old to whom He spoke directly. 
The Church is sent to "teach all nations." She 
fulfils her mission by preaching and by spreading 
Catholic literature. Hence you show your "good 
will'' to profit by the Word of God by listening 
to sermons, and by reading good books, magazines, 
and papers. 

A certain amount of God's Word is essential. 
Every Christian should know that there is (1) one 
God, (2) three divine Persons, (3) that God cre- 
ated all men for heaven, (4) that God the Son 
became man and died on the cross for the Re- 



GRACE. 333 

demption of mankind, (5) that He established the 
Catholic Church tp lead man to heaven, (6) that 
He instituted seven sacraments as fountains of 
grace, (7) that He promised to hear our prayer, 

(8) that He insists on the observance of the 
"Ten Commandments" and the "Six Precepts/' 

(9) that He rewards the good eternally in heaven 
and punishes the wicked in hell, (10) that on the 
last day the dead will rise again and be united 
again body and soul forever. 

A person of good will, however, does not con- 
tent himself with a knowledge of the bare essen- 
tials of God's Word. He tries to learn more and 
more. He actually hungers for the Word of God. 
He listens with attention to the Sunday sermons. 
He reads profitable books. He reflects. He has 
his doubts cleared up. He is anxious to enlighten 
others. At least he is "ready always to satisfy 
every one that asketh him a reason of that hope 
which is in him" (1 Peter iii. 15). 

2. Grace. 

Grace is a supernatural gift of God bestowed on 
man for his salvation. It is granted through the 
merits of Christ. The word "grace" comes from 
the Latin "gratis," which means free and un- 
merited. Grace is a free gift of God superadded 
to His natural gifts. The natural gifts of man 
distinguish him from the rest of creation. But 
they do not make man a child of God. Neither 
do man's natural gifts enable him to act as the 



334 THE TRUE RELIGION OF TODAY. 

brother of Jesus Christ and heir to the kingdom 
of heaven. This is done by grace alone. 

Man will live after he leaves this stage of life. 
His soul is immortal. The Word of God tells man 
that he is destined for heaven, that heaven is his 
true home. We read in the Gospel that the prod- 
igal son was clothed in new garments before he 
re-entered his father's house and seated himself 
at the banquet which was prepared in his honor. 
In like manner, it is not sufficient for man to be 
destined for heaven, but he must be arrayed in 
those spiritual ornaments which make him pre- 
sentable at the heavenly banquet. These spiritual 
ornaments are God's grace and the result of man's 
deliberate co-operation with that grace. 

Grace is bestowed on man through the merits 
of Christ. It is of two kinds, sanctifying and 
actual. The first makes man a child of God. The 
second enables him to act as a child of God. By 
freely acting as a child of God, or co-operating 
with His grace, man adorns himself with the merit 
of good works and prepares himself to enter heaven, 
his true home, and enjoy the banquet there pre- 
pared for all the children of God. 

3. Necessity of Grace. 
The grace of God is absolutely necessary for 
mans salvation. Without wings a bird cannot fly. 
Without feet he cannot walk. So man cannot be- 
come a child of God or earn heaven without the 
grace of God. The grace of God gives man a new 



SANCTIFYING GRACE. 335 

life, a divine life. It enables man to live for the 
honor and glory of God, out of love for Him, ac- 
cording to His holy will. What life and nourish- 
ment are for man in the natural order, that grace 
is for him in the supernatural. Hence Our Saviour 
says, "Without Me you can do nothing" (John 
xv. 5). "Unless you are born again of water and 
the Holy Ghost you cannot enter the kingdom of 
heaven" (John iii. 5). 

Objections. 

1. I can go to heaven without the aid of grace. — 
You remind me of the boy who tried to raise him- 
self up to heaven by his boot-straps. Without 
God's grace you will have no more success. 

2. At least I can do something meritorious 
without grace. — "Without Me you can do nothing" 
(John xv. 5). 

3. Didn't Christ promise paradise to a thief ? — 
Yes, because he co-operated with grace as soon as 
he received it. He was called "at the eleventh 
hour." 

4. Sanctifying Grace. 

Sanctifying grace is that grace which makes the 
soul holy and pleasing in the sight of God. On 
account of its effect, sanctifying grace is also called 
the grace of justification. Because it is permanent 
of its nature, it is also called habitual grace. Our 
first parents were created in the possession of this 
grace, but they forfeited the same by sin. In con- 



336 THE TRUE RELIGION OF TODAY. 

sequence of this sin of Adam and Eve, their de- 
scendants are born deprived of this grace. Hence 
the necessity of being born to grace, of being 
"born again of water and the Holy Ghost." That 
spiritual birth makes man a child of God, a brother 
of Christ, an heir to the kingdom of heaven. It 
makes him by adoption what Christ is by nature, 
the child and heir of God. 

Unless deliberately destroyed by mortal sin this 
spiritual life of the soul will continue not only 
through life, but even throughout eternity. But 
no matter how long a person may have been a 
friend of God, no matter how just, how holy, how 
pleasing to God, he can commit sin at any stage 
of his life. He can always forfeit this grace by 
mortal sin. Since grace is a free gift of God, we 
should "watch and pray lest we fall into tempta- 
tion." We should be humble, because "God gives 
His grace to the humble." 

Objections. 

1. If I am once justified I cannot sin. — That 
thought might make a Judas of the best of us. 

2. The justified are exempt from the law.— 
Grace is not an exemption, but a means of fulfilling 
the law. 

3. Grace takes away our free will.— That is 
a false doctrine and gives false assurance. 

5. Actual Grace. 

Actual grace is that transient help which God 



GOD GIVES SUFFICIENT GRACE. 337 

gives man to do good. To do good man needs three 
things besides the opportunity. These are (1) 
knowledge in the mind, (2) the desire in his heart, 
(3) the necessary power to realize his desires. 
Actual grace furnishes this threefold help. It 
enlightens the mind. It allures the heart. It 
strengthens the will and enables it to act rightly. 
Grace counteracts ignorance and prejudice in the 
mind, and passion and human respect in the will. 
It anticipates, perfects and crowns every Chris- 
tian action. Because the merits of Christ are 
infinite and God infinitely good and merciful, 
He is ever ready to assist all "of good will." Every 
human co-operation with grace (1) earns super- 
natural merit, (2) makes man dearer to God, (3) 
entitles him to receive an increase of grace. 

6. God Gives Sufficient Grace to All. 

God gives to every human soul sufficient grace 
to work out its salvation. This His infinite per- 
fection demands of Him. God was free to create 
or not to create. But His perfection necessitates 
Him to perfect His work. Man often makes a 
botch of his work, not so with God. Man may 
lack in wisdom of design, in will or power of exe- 
cution, not so with God. Whatever God does, un- 
hampered by the perverseness of a created free will, 
must be perfect in its individual nature. When 
God created man and destined him for heaven, 
He gave him a perfect body and a perfect soul, a 
perfect intellect and a perfect will. He gave man, 



338 TEE TRUE RELIGION OF TO-DAY. 

besides, the means of increasing that perfection to 
an indefinite degree, thereby to increase his cer- 
tainty of and reward in the next world. The per- 
verse will of man, alas, has frustrated the plans of 
God in regard to many a soul. But the goodness 
and mercy and good will of God have not been 
changed by the perversity of man. We do not do 
God justice by admitting only that He gives suffi- 
cient grace to all mankind. Judging from the 
evidence of His perfection and goodness, we can 
safely say that God will do all the free will of man 
will permit, to bring all His rational creatures to 
that perfection which He had planned for them 
from all eternity. 

In ages gone by God sent special messengers 
to help those of good will to a knowledge and 
possession of the truth and the means of salvation. 
Who will assert that God does not do the same 
to-day? Who knows the communion which God 
holds with the individual soul by His grace? His 
perfection and goodness would prompt God to 
send an angel from heaven to bring a benighted 
heathen of good will to life eternal, if no other 
means were at hand. Every person that was ever 
lost was lost solely because at some time of his 
life he deliberately opposed the grace of God and 
never repaired that fault. 

7. Co-operation with Grace. 

Co-operation with the grace of God is absolutely 
necessary for the salvation of a free agent. Though 



SALVATION. 339 

God the Son repaired the sin of man by shedding 
His Heart's blood on Calvary's heights, man cannot 
be saved against his will. A person may be forcibly 
rescued from fire on land or the waters of the deep, 
but no one can be saved from the death of the soul 
against his free will. The God who gave man a 
free will will not rob him of his liberty to bring 
him to life eternal. The God who loves man with 
an infinite love pleads indeed with him and says: 
"My child, give Me thy heart" ; but He desires the 
spontaneous love of a child, not the service of a 
slave. Heaven is man's future home, not as a gift, 
however, but as a reward for fidelity in co-operating 
with divine grace. Co-operation with grace is as 
necessary for salvation as grace itself. Both are 
necessary. Both are indispensable. 

A person who persistently refuses nourishment 
must eventually die. In a spiritual sense, it is the 
same with man's co-operation with grace. Even 
though a person has been born to the spiritual life, 
if he does not nourish that life by seeking God's 
grace and co-operating with it, he will die the 
death of spiritual starvation. A "good will," a 
persevering good will in co-operating with grace 
is essential to man's salvation. 

8. Salvation : The Grace of Perseverance. 

Salvation consists in working out man's destiny. 
It is the true solution of the problem of life. 
Practically, it consists in keeping the command- 
ments during a few years, and thus meriting the 



340 THE TRUE RELIGION OF TODAY. 

eternal joys of heaven. It is the result of fidelity 
to grace. 

By seeking the honor and glory of God, out of 
love for Him, according to His holy will, man uses 
the means of grace and faithfully corresponds with 
the divine designs. This fidelity, or constant "good 
will" on the part of man, entitles him to coristant 
new graces. He receives a regular chain of grace 
which enables him habitually to conquer every 
temptation till he finishes his earthly course. This 
chain of grace is called the grace of perseverance. 
It cannot be strictly earned. It is a pure gift of 
divine love and mercy. But it will infallibly be 
bestowed upon every one that makes the right 
use of the means of grace and co-operates with the 
divine aid. 

9. Means of Grace. 
God has placed the means of grace within the 
reach of all of good will. God has no need of man 
In His infinite goodness God created man to His 
own image and likeness and destined him for the 
joys of heaven. He sacrificed His only-begotten 
Son for the redemption of mankind. He knows 
that even now no man can go to heaven without 
divine aid. He therefore places the infinite merits 
01 Jesus Christ at man's disposal. But what would 
all the merits of the Saviour profit man, if he had 
no means of appropriating them? Absolutely 
nothing. What would the fortune of a parent bene- 
fit a starving child if it had no means of sustain- 



THE GREAT MEANS OF GRACE. 341 

ing life ? God, who loves man with a greater love 
than ever a mother loves her child, knows all this. 
He knows all things. In His infinite goodness, 
love, and mercy, God has therefore provided suit- 
able means for the salvation of all of good will. 
These means are of two kinds. The one is uni- 
versal, the other particular. The first is the privi- 
lege of prayer. St. Alphonsus calls this the great 
means of salvation. The other kind consists of 
those sacraments which Jesus Christ has left be- 
hind Him in the Church. 

10. The Great Means of Grace. 

Prayer is the great means of grace. It is great 
because it is universal and efficacious. It is within 
the power of every one. God, who is so wise and 
kind and good, has placed this means of grace in 
every human heart. Prayer is, indeed, the uni- 
versal means of supernatural aid. It is the golden 
key with which the child as well as the theologian, 
the sinner as well as the saint, can unlock the 
treasures of divine mercy. The innocent cry of 
the child, the realizing petition of the theologian, 
the repentant groan of the sinner, and the fervent 
sigh of God's chosen souls are equally rendered 
efficacious by a good will. God does not con- 
sider man's deserts, his past or future, when he 
prays. He regards rather the infinite treasures 
of His crucified Son and man's present good will. 
So anxious is He to hear man's prayer, that He 
actually tells us that "He stands at the door and 



342 THE TRUE RELIGION OF TODAY. 

knocks" He stands at the door of your heart, 
Christian soul, knocking, begging for admission. 
In proportion as you open your heart by prayer 
will the Light of God enlighten your mind 
strengthen your will and inflame your heart with 
His love. Prayer will obtain for the unbeliever 
the ^ft of faith. Prayer will unlock the true 
Church to the non-Catholic of good will. Praver 
will procure for all of good will the ordinary graces 
necessary for a virtuous life. 

ii. The Sacraments of the Catholic Church. 

Jesus Christ has left seven sacraments as foun- 
tains of grace in the Catholic Church. We have 
already seen what these sacraments are, and that 
their number corresponds to the seven spiritual 
wants of the human race. 

The universal consent of Christianity up to the 
sixteenth century admits that our divine Saviour 
instituted seven sacraments. They are called 
Baptism, Confirmation, Holy Eucharist, Penance 
Extreme Unction, Holy Orders, and Matrimony; 
These names may, indeed, be of more modern 
origin. But the external sign was instituted by 
Jesus Christ. If the sacraments originated since 
the time of Christ, history would give us the cir- 
cumstances of so important an event. If the uni- 
versal belief in seven sacraments is false, then 
Christ did not keep His word. And the Holy 
Ghost was untrue to His charge if He permitted 
a corruption of faith to destroy the Church, against 



BAPTISM. 343 

which the Saviour said that not even the powers 
of hell should prevail. To assert this would be a 
blasphemy. Hence the Catholic Church was right 
when she declared that "if any one would say that 
the sacraments of the New Law are more or less 
than seven, or that any of these are not true sac- 
raments, let him be anathema" (Council of Trent, 
sess. 7, can. 1). Two sacraments are intended 
primarily to confer sanctifying grace. They are 
Baptism and Penance. They are called sacraments 
of the dead, because they give spiritual life to the 
soul. The other five are called sacraments of the 
living, because those who receive them worthily 
should be living the life of grace, and receive an 
increase of spiritual life through the same. 

Three sacraments, Baptism, Confirmation, and 
Holy Orders, by one reception attain the end for 
which Christ instituted them. They therefore im- 
press an indelible character on the soul. This 
sign will redound to the greater honor of the elect 
and to the greater confusion of the reprobate. 

12. Baptism. 

Baptism is the sacrament of regeneration, or 
spiritual birth. It elevates human beings to the 
dignity of children of God, brethren of Jesus 
Christ, and heirs of heaven. It remits all sin of 
which the recipient is guilty, and confers upon him 
sanctifying grace. In the sight of men, Baptism 
makes Christians of those who receive it validly. 
The necessity of Baptism was emphasized by Our 



344 TEE TRUE RELIGION OF TO-DAY. 

Saviour when He said to Nicodemus: "Amen, 
amen I say to thee, unless a man be born again of 
water and the Holy Ghost he cannot enter into the 
kingdom of God" (John iii. 5). On account of 
this urgent necessity, Jesus Christ ordained that 
any person having the use of reason can baptize 
validly. It matters not whether a person be a 
Catholic or a non-Catholic, a believer or an unbe- 
liever; as long as he has the good will and places 
the external sign, he can baptize validly. Baptism 
is ordinarily administered by pouring water on the 
person to be baptized while saying, "I baptize thee 
in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of 
the Holy Ghost." The external sign of the inter- 
nal grace in holy Baptism is the washing or flowing 
of water, on the body of the person baptized. This 
end is attained in three ways, (1) by pouring 
(2) by immersing, and (3) by copious sprinkling. 
If it is impossible to receive this sacrament of 
water and the Holy Ghost, its effect may be pro- 
duced (1) by shedding one's blood for the faith 
of Christ, or (2) by an ardent wish to receive 
Baptism, and an earnest good will to do all that 
God has ordained for man's salvation. The former 
is called Baptism of blood, the latter Baptism of 
desire. A child that is in good health should 
never be baptized without the consent of the par- 
ents. If it is dangerously sick, however, it is an 
aet of charity to baptize it even without permis- 
sion. Before an adult person can be validly bap- 
tized he must have the intention of receiving this 



BAPTISM. 345 

sacrament. He must also be sorry for all his 
actual sins, all of which are then forgiven by this 
wise and merciful institution of Jesus Christ. 
Except in danger of death, an adult should never 
be baptized without first being well instructed in 
the teaching and practice of the true Eeligion. 
The essential truths which every adult must be- 
lieve are: (1) There is one God. (2) God is just: 
He rewards the good and punishes the wicked for 
all eternity. (3) In God there are three divine 
Persons : the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost. 
(4) Jesus Christ, the Son of God, became Man and 
died on the cross to redeem us from sin and hell. 

Objections. 

1. Infant baptism is invalid. — Is that why the 
Saviour said, "Suffer the little ones to come to 
Me"? (Matt. x. 14.) 

2. The Apostles never baptized children. — That 
assertion is easier made than proved. St. Paul 
baptized Lydia and her household (Acts xvi. 15), 
the prison-keeper and all his house (Acts. xvi. 33) 
and the household of Stephanus (1 Cor. i. 16). 
What constitutes a household, if not parents and 
children ? 

3. But a child has not the use of its reason. — 
But it has its guardians who can lawfully act for 
its interest. 

4. A child should always act for itself in a 
matter like this. — Tut, tut! If you had a child 
which would be made heir to a vast estate if you 



346 THE TRUE RELIGION OF TO-DAY. 

gave your consent, would you hesitate in consult- 
ing the temporal interests of that child? And is 
not the kingdom of heaven more valuable than all 
earthly treasures? 

5. Baptism is not necessary for heaven. — "Un- 
less a man be born again of water and the Holy 
Ghost he cannot enter the kingdom of God" (John 
iii. 5). 

6. John the Baptist baptized by immersion; 
hence that alone is the true baptism. — The bap- 
tism of John was only an external profession of 
repentance, hence, no sacrament at all. St. Paul 
therefore rebaptized those Ephesians who had re- 
ceived only the baptism of John the Baptist (Acts 
xix. 4). 

7. Can heaven be obtained for children who 
die before birth? — God is infinitely good. He 
made the law of Baptism. May He not dispense 
from the law in answer to the fervent prayer of 
parents ? 

8. What becomes of children who die without 
Baptism? — Two things are certain: (1) They are 
excluded from the joys of heaven; (2) They suffer 
no positive pains of hell. They probably enjoy 
a natural happiness. 

13. Confirmation. 
Confirmation is a sacrament which confers the 
Holy Ghost with His special gifts upon the bap- 
tized to make them strong and perfect Christians. 
The outward sign of Confirmation consists in 



CONFIRMATION. 347 

the anointing of the forehead by the bishop with 
chrism in the form of the cross, while saying, "I 
sign thee with the sign of the cross, and I confirm 
thee with the chrism of salvation, in the name 
of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy 
Ghost." The Apostles confirmed the first Chris- 
tians as soon as they were sufficiently instructed 
(Acts vii. 17). 

We have already seen that the Holy Ghost has 
a twofold mission: to keep the Church in holiness 
and truth, and to sanctify individual souls. It is 
especially for the latter purpose that He is re- 
ceived in Confirmation. It is true, He took up His 
abode in the human heart at Baptism. His reign 
is strengthened there by the worthy reception of 
all the sacraments, by the performance of good 
works, by every humble prayer. But it is especially 
in Confirmation that the Holy Spirit comes with 
His sevenfold gifts. His Wisdom detaches us 
from the world. The gift of Understanding gives 
us spiritual insight. His Counsel aids us to seek 
first the kingdom of God and His justice. By 
Fortitude He enables us to triumph in trials and 
temptations. His Knowledge engraves the law 
of God on our hearts. The gift of Piety gives us 
a relish for our spiritual duties. The Fear of the 
Lord disposes us to avoid offending God, out of fear 
of His punishments. 

Before a person is admitted to Confirmation, he 
should be thoroughly instructed in the teaching, 
practice and obligations of a Catholic. In the 



348 THE TRUE RELIGION OF TO-DAY. 

United States it is, therefore, customary to receive 
Confirmation after a person has first been duly- 
prepared for holy communion. 

14. The Holy Eucharist: Its Institution. 

The Holy Eucharist is the sacrament which con- 
tains the body and blood, soul and divinity of 
Jesus Christ. The God-Man is really and truly 
present in this sacrament under the appearance of 
bread and wine. This sacrament of divine love 
gives the Author of all grace to man and unites 
Him intimately to all who receive Him into a 
pure heart. 

Jesus Christ instituted this sacrament at the 
Last Supper. Perhaps no teaching of faith is so 
clearly and so repeatedly stated in the Bible as the 
doctrine of the Real Presence of the God-Man in 
the Sacrament of His love. Other truths are 
usually taught by one or the other inspired writer. 
But this doctrine is clearly given by at least 
five. AVhat may seem more remarkable still on 
second thought is that Sts. Matthew, Mark, Luke, 
and Paul record the essential fact of the institution 
of the sacrament in the selfsame words: "This 
is My body/' "This is My blood." 

After Jesus had eaten with the Apostles on that 
eventful evening, He took bread, "blessed and 
broke ; and gave it to His disciples, and said : Take 
ye and eat. This is My body. And taking the 
chalice He gave thanks : and gave to them, saying : 
Drink ye all of this. For this is My blood of the 



HOLT EUCHARIST: ITS INSTITUTION. 349 

New Testament which shall be shed for many unto 
remission of sins" (Matt. xxvi. 26). He then gave 
the Apostles the power of perpetuating this insti- 
tution of His love, saying: "Do this in com- 
memoration of Me" (Luke xxii. 19). These words 
of our divine Saviour have always been taken in 
their literal sense by that Church which Christ 
founded on Peter and entrusted to the unerring 
guidance of the Holy Ghost. 

Objections. 

1. Christ meant His words in a figurative 
sense. — Do you mean to say that Christ, the divine 
Teacher, deliberately deceived His followers for 
sixteen centuries? 

2. The bread and wine are memorials of 
Christ's love. — They are all that and more. 

3. Christ is spiritually present. — How can a 
material body be spiritually present? Christ is 
"really and truly" present in the Sacrament of 
His love. 

4. The substances of bread and wine are pres- 
ent at the same time as the body and blood of 
Christ. — That is bad philosophy, bad theology, and 
bad private interpretation. 

5. The body and blood of Christ are myste- 
riously present only in the act of communion. — 
But Christ said, "This is My body," "This is My 
blood." 

6. How can this be done? — -That is just what 
the Capharnites could not understand and there- 



350 THE TRUE RELIGION OF TO-DAY. 

fore would not accept. "Will you also go away?" 
(John vi. 68.) 

15. Transubstantiation, or, the Mystery of the 
Real Presence. 

The wonderful and singular change of the en- 
tire substance of bread into the body of Christ, and 
of the entire substance of wine into the blood of 
Christ, while the appearances of bread and wine re- 
main, is called Transubstantiation (Cone. Trent, 
sess. 13, cap. 4, can. 3). Transubstantiation is a 
total change of one substance into another. Eeason 
insists on four things for such a change: (1) That 
the elements entering into this change really exist. 
(2) That the substance which is changed ceases to 
exist with the transition of the change. (3) That 
it ceases to exist in virtue of the change into the 
other substance. (4) That the accidents, or ap- 
pearances, of the first substance remain as before. 
By means of this mysterious change the body and 
the blood of Christ are reproduced — not created — 
in such a way, says St. Alphonsus, "that if the 
body of Christ did not exist in heaven, it would 
begin to exist in the Holy Eucharist." 

Thus Christ is really, truly, substantially and 
permanently present in the Holy Eucharist, as 
long as the appearances of bread and wine remain. 
He is equally present under both species, or ap- 
pearances. The living body and the living blood 
of Christ are in the Eucharist. They are not sep- 
arated in heaven. Neither are they separated in 



TRANSUBSTAUTIATION. 351 

the Eucharist. The presence of one by concomi- 
tance necessitates the presence of the other. Hence 
St. Paul says, "Whoever shall eat this bread or 
drink the chalice of the Lord unworthily, shall be 
guilty of the body and the blood of the Lord" (1 
Cor. xi. 27). 

Since the divinity of Christ is substantially 
united with His humanity, it is evident that by 
concomitance the divinity of the Second Person of 
the Blessed Trinity is specially present in the Holy 
Eucharist. This truth constitutes what is famil- 
iarly called the Real Presence. From this it plain- 
ly follows that a genuflection or any other mark 
of adoration and worship paid to the Holy Euchar- 
ist is not idolatry, but is a well-regulated act of 
Eeligion. 

Objections. 

1. It is impossible for the body of Christ to 
exist under the appearance of so small a particle. 
■ — What is impossible to man is not impossible to 
.God as long as it is not self -contradictory. 

2. It is impossible for one body to be in many 
places at the same time. — The truth of that asser- 
tion may be questioned. It certainly is proved un- 
true by the sacramental presence of God on our 
altars. 

3. It is incomprehensible! — Except by faith, 
which is "the evidence of things that appear not" 
(Hebr. xi. 1), 



352 THE TRUE RELIGION OF TODAY. 

16. Holy Communion, or, the Holy Eucharist 
as a Sacrament. 

Holy communion is the receiving of the Sacra- 
ment of the Eucharist. This union is appropriate- 
ly called communion because it is a voluntary 
communing and mutual oblation of Jesus Christ 
and His friends through this Sacrament of His 
love. 

Holy communion is necessary for the salvation 
of adults both by divine and by ecclesiastical pre- 
cept. "Unless you eat the flesh of the Son of man 
and drink His blood you shall not have life in 
you" (John vi. 54), said Our Saviour to the doubt- 
ing Capharnites. We have already seen that the 
reception of holy communion is commanded by 
the Church during Easter time. 

Being a sacrament of the living, the Holy 
Eucharist ought to be received in the state of 
grace. It would be giving Jesus the kiss of Judas 
to approach the holy table in the state of mortal 
sin. Instead of giving grace, an unworthy com- 
munion would increase the sinner's guilt, draw 
down God's temporal chastisement and pave the 
way for eternal damnation. 

On the other hand, however, a devout holy com- 
munion (1) increases sanctifying grace, (2) re- 
mits venial sin by increasing divine charity, (3) 
remits the temporal punishment due to sin, (4) 
fortifies the soul against actual sin, (5) produces a 
spiritual sweetness in the heart, (6) effects a close 
(moral) union with Christ, (7) strengthens the 



HOLY MASS. 353 

bonds of fraternal charity, (8) lessens evil in- 
clinations and increases the love of purity, (9) 
procures final perseverance, (10) gives divine as- 
surance of immortality and a glorious resurrection. 
The essential preparations for a devout holy 
communion are (1) freedom from mortal sin, (2) 
abstinence from all food and drink from previous 
hour of midnight. 

Objections. 

1. Why do you receive holy communion fast- 
ing ? — It is prescribed as an act of reverence. 

2. Do Catholics ever receive holy communion 
when not fasting ? — Yes, when in danger of death. 

3. Why do the laity receive holy communion 
only under one kind? — This is prescribed by the 
Church: (1) To avoid profanation by spilling the 
chalice. (2) On account of the difficulty of procur- 
ing the necessary wine. But especially (3) to 
emphasize the true doctrine of the Eeal Presence. 

4. The priest receives both the chalice and the 
bread. He therefore receives more than the laity. 
— That is confusing the form with the sacrament. 
Both priest and people equally receive the sacra- 
ment. 

17. Holy Mass, or, the Holy Eucharist as a 
Sacrifice. 

The Holy Eucharist as a sacrifice is the unbloody 
offering of the body and blood of Christ, to the 
heavenly Father, under the appearance of bread 



354 THE TRUE RELIGION OF TO-DAY. 

and wine. This is called the sacrifice of the Mass. 
We have already seen the nature and necessity of 
sacrifice, as well as the claims which the Mass has 
of being the sacrifice of the New Law. 

All admit that the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on 
Calvary was a real sacrifice. Whoever, therefore, 
believes in the Real Presence must admit that the 
"offering" at the Last Supper, which preceded, 
and the holy Mass, which follows "from the rising 
of the sun to the going down of the same," are 
truly a sacrifice. For they are substantially the 
same. On the cross as well as in the Mass, Jesus 
Christ is the eternal High Priest. He is also the 
Victim. In the holy Mass the sacrifice of the cross 
is not only commemorated and represented, but 
unceasingly continued, repeated and multiplied, 
and its fruits applied. Jesus Christ is a Priest for- 
ever according to the order of Melchisedech (Ps. 
cix. 4). He daily offers Himself for the same pur- 
pose on the altar as He did on Calvary. As St. 
Augustine says, "He is both the Priest and the Ob- 
lation." Jesus Christ, therefore, is the principal 
Priest, who uses the agency of His duly ordained 
minister at the altar, even as He used the blind 
agency of the executioners on Calvary. 

The sacrifice of the Mass not only offers God the 
homage of adoration and thanksgiving, but equally 
propitiates His anger and obtains His aid. This 
doctrine follows from the very idea of "an accept- 
able sacrifice." 

The sacrifice of the Mass necessarily pleases 



PENANCE, SACRAMENT OF GOD'S MERCY. 355 

God and inclines Him to our aid. Where the will 
of God alone is concerned, this sacrifice is neces- 
sarily efficacious. But where the "good will" of 
man must co-operate, the effect is proportionately 
dependent on human co-operation. 

The sacrifice of the Mass may be offered for the 
living and the dead. It may be offered for all the 
living that they may be converted, grow in grace 
and persevere. It may be offered for the dead who 
have died in union with the Church, that their 
entrance into heaven be hastened. Every Mass is 
offered for the welfare of the entire Church and 
for some most particular intention. Those who 
assist at Mass have a special share in the sacri- 
fice. But those for whom the sacrifice is specially 
offered derive the greatest benefit from it. It is 
an act of Christian charity to have the sacrifice of 
the Mass offered for our deceased relatives and 
friends. As far as we are concerned, however, it 
is better for us, as St. Leonard of Port Maurice 
teaches, to have the sacrifice of the Mass offered 
for our benefit while we are living than to wait 
till after our death. 

18. Penance, the Sacrament of God's Mercy. 

Penance is truly the sacrament of God's mercy. 
It was instituted by Jesus Christ for the remission 
of those sins which man may commit on his jour- 
ney through life, after he has been born to the 
spiritual life in holy Baptism. Jesus Christ is 



356 THE TRUE RELIGION OF TODAY. 

the God of infinite wisdom. He knew the weak- 
ness of human nature, the trials and temptations 
of life. He saw that the vast majority of adults 
are not only in danger of sin, but actually fall by 
the wayside of life before they reach the mystic 
heights of Calvary. He saw that if He did not 
give man some hope of recovering sanctifying 
grace after Baptism, His suffering and death 
would practically be in vain. But was God 
obliged to give man this second, this third, this 
indefinite chance to begin again? By no means. 
This is the effect of His compassionate love, of 
His condescending mercy. In truth, this sacra- 
ment is the sacrament of God's infinite mercy. 

As we have already seen in the chapters on Re- 
pentance and Forgiveness, Jesus Christ gave all 
of "good will" not only the hope but even the 
certainty of pardon in this sacrament. We must 
admit that we are all sinners. This sacrament, 
then, is the only door by which we can enter heaven 
if we have offended God grievously after Baptism. 
If we have the honest sentiments of the publican 
in the Temple this sacrament offers us pardon for 
the past and hope for the future. We might well 
despair without it. But now there is pardon, 
peace, hope, divine certainty at all times for all 
of good will. Let us thank the merciful Saviour 
for that tribunal of His mercy which He estab- 
lished when He said to the priests of His Church, 
"Receive ye the Holy Ghost. Whose sins you shall 
forgive, they are forgiven them" (John xx. 22). 



TEE EXAMINATION OF CONSCIENCE. 357 

To receive the Sacrament of Penance worthily 
we must do five things: (1) examine our con- 
science, (2) be sorry for our sins, (3) make the 
firm purpose never more to offend God by mortal 
sin, (4) confess our sins to a duly authorized 
priest, (5) make satisfaction for our sins. 

19. The Examination of Conscience. 

The examination of conscience is a serious ef- 
fort to call to mind the sins we have committed 
since our last worthy confession. It is a necessary 
preparation for an honest confession. Conscience 
is the judgment of our reason about the morality 
of our individual actions. When our conscience 
is not blinded by delusion, passion or human re- 
spect, it re-echoes the Law of God in our heart. 
When we hearken to its voice, it approves, but 
when we disregard its dictates, it condemns our 
conduct. These judgments of our conscience are 
stored up in our memory. By examining our con- 
science we, therefore, mean the recalling to mind 
of those acts in which our conscience has con- 
demned us for acting contrary to its dictates. 

If a person has reason to think that he has 
grievously sinned, he is bound under pain of mor- 
tal sin to examine his conscience before going to 
confession, so as not to commit a sacrilege. By a 
serious effort we mean moral diligence, ordinary 
care to find out the truth. We use at least or- 
dinary care of our health. We do the same in per- 
forming our professional duties. Does not reason 



358 THE TRUE RELIGION OF TO-DAY. 

demand that we do at least as much for our im- 
mortal souls? 

Two things should determine the time and at- 
tention we ought to devote to this examination: 
(1) the length of time that has elapsed since our 
last worthy confession; (2) the condition of our 
conscience during that time. As it takes more 
time to read an entire book than to glance at only 
a few pages, so it takes more time to study the 
records of conscience for years than the records of 
a few weeks. Moreover, since the presumption is 
that a negligent Christian would commit more 
sins under similar circumstances than a fervent 
one, we should also consult the condition of our 
conscience during this period in determining on 
the time we ought to devote to an honest exam- 
ination. 

In the actual examination of our conscience we 
should pay particular attention to three things: 
(1) the necessity of prayer, (2) the point of time 
from which we desire to examine ourselves, and 
(3) order in our examination. Prayer is neces- 
sary for divine light. By sin we go away from 
God, the eternal Light, into spiritual darkness. As 
the light of God's grace enters our soul, however, 
we gradually see ourselves as God sees us. We 
must then fix in our mind the time of our last 
worthy confession, for we must review the period 
that has elapsed since then. In our examination 
we should proceed orderly. Order is heaven's first 
law. It is also a great saver of time and energy. 



CONTRITION. 359 

We know that our liberty has been limited by God's 
holy law. We can, therefore, discover the wrong 
we may have done by examining ourselves on the 
Decalogue, the Precepts, and the particular duties 
of our state in life. We shall find a help in this 
examination by using a prayer-book. A book 
which has been found of special help to all of good 
will in making an honest examination of con- 
science is the "New Mission Book." 

20. Contrition. 

Contrition is a hatred of sin and a true grief 
of the soul for having offended God. Of its very 
nature, contrition is necessary for the forgiveness 
of sin. It is also commanded by God and His 
Church. When a person deliberates about com- 
mitting a mortal sin he weighs God in the balance 
of his heart. He calmly considers the infinite 
majesty and goodness of God on the one hand, and 
the false excellence and apparent goodness of the 
evil deed on the other hand. If he does wrong, he 
allows his perverse inclinations to decide in favor 
of the sinful action. He turns his back on God. 
He prefers a momentary indulgence to the God 
of infinite majesty and love. When the sinner 
therefore enters into himself he must break with 
sin and return to God. Like the prodigal son, he 
regrets the step that he has taken. He regrets the 
harm he has done to himself. He cannot recall 
the past, but if he is of good will he will not only 
reverse his judgment and detest the evil of his 



360 TEE TRUE RELIGION OF TODAY. 

choice, but also grieve for having offended God. 
This is contrition. It is the deliberate undoing 
of the sinner's perverse will. It is required of man 
by his very nature as a free agent before he can 
hope for pardon. 

If the sinner is prompted in this repentance by 
the love of God, his contrition is perfect, but if he 
is prompted by motives of self-love, which mani- 
fest themselves in fear of hell or dread of the loss 
of heaven, the contrition is only imperfect. A re- 
bellious child may repent and honestly say, 
"Mamma, I am sorry because I have hurt your 
feelings. I will never do it again." Or it may 
say, "Mamma, I am sorry for having been naughty, 
because I have deserved punishment." So peni- 
tent man sometimes says, "0 my God, I am sorry 
for having offended Thee, who art so good and 
deserving of all love." But oftener he is thinking 
only of himself and says, "0 my God, I am sorry 
for my sins because I deserve the loss of heaven 
and the pains of hell." The first is an act of per- 
fect contrition, the latter of imperfect contrition, 
or attrition. The first is virtually an act of the 
love of God. It therefore remits sin when united 
to a determination of going to confession. Though 
imperfect contrition suffices for the forgiveness of 
sins in the tribunal of penance, we should always 
endeavor to have perfect contrition. 

As sin comes from the heart, so must contrition 
come from the heart. It must spring from the 
motives of the faith already mentioned, not from 



THE PURPOSE OF AMENDMENT. 361 

mere natural motives. It must extend itself at 
least to all mortal sins. One mortal sin expels God 
from the heart and makes man His enemy. Kea- 
son tells us we cannot be the friend and the 
enemy of God at the same time. True contrition 
detests sin as the greatest evil because sin alone 
robs us of God and heaven, the greatest good. Still 
we can have perfect contrition without feeling our 
sorrow. Contrition is a determined act of a re- 
pentant good will, not a matter of sentiment. 

True contrition is always founded on hope in 
God's mercy. When a soul honestly repents, God 
does not stop to bargain, as it were, about the 
number and the kind of sins committed. He says 
to all of good will, "Turn ye to Me, and I will 
turn to you" (Zach. i. 3). "As I live, I desire 
not the death of the wicked, but that the wicked 
turn from his way, and live. Turn ye, turn ye 
from your evil ways" (Ezech. xxxiii. 11). 

21. The Purpose of Amendment. 

The purpose of amendment is a fixed resolve 
or firm determination to remain the friend of 
God in the future by avoiding at least all mortal 
sins. The purpose of amendment is the natural re- 
sult and the practical test of sincere contrition. 
Without it the sinner would only give the kiss of 
Judas to his loving Saviour. This fixed resolve 
must above all be practical and efficacious. The 
repentant sinner must have his mind made up 



362 THE TRUE RELIGION OF TO-DAY. 

(1) to avoid all mortal sin, (2) to avoid the prox- 
imate occasions of mortal sin, (3) to make the 
proper use of means of grace. Mortal sin and the 
friendship of God cannot exist in the same heart at 
the same time. It is therefore not sufficient to say 
"Lord, Lord !" The sinner must show his "good 
will" by putting his purpose of amendment into 
practice. A kitten may be fascinated by a bright 
spark falling from the kitchen stove, and put its 
little paw upon it. But that lesson will suffice it 
for a lifetime. Why, then, does the sinner trifle 
again and again with that spark from hell which 
has seared his conscience so often? Is he lacking 
in judgment or in resolution? He certainly is 
lacking in firmness and efficacy of amendment. If 
he honestly promised God never to sin again, why 
did he leave his purpose of amendment in the 
confessional? Why did he not avoid the occasion, 
that person, that place? He realizes that he is 
weak, has he forgotten that God is strong and will 
not despise the prayer of "a contrite and humble 
heart" ? Let him, therefore, resolve to "watch and 
pray that he enter not into temptation." For even 
though "the spirit is willing, the flesh is weak" 
(Matt. xxvi. 41). Alas, a good will, a determined, 
efficacious good will is often lacking where there 
is a want of amendment. Confession may obtain 
pardon for the past, but it does not change human 
nature. It does not change the habits of sin. 
These the sinner must eradicate by a firm purpose 
of amendment. 



CONFESSION. 363 

22. Confession. 

Confession is the telling of our sins to a duly- 
authorized priest for the purpose of obtaining for- 
giveness. Jesus Christ made His priests the 
agents of His mercy, not the searchers of human 
hearts. It is evident, therefore, that before the 
priest can exercise this office of mercy the sinner 
must confess his sins. Hence St. John says, "If 
we confess our sins, God is faithful and just to 
forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all in- 
iquity" (1 John i. 9). Thus it happened that 
when St. Paul preached to the Ephesians "many 
came confessing and declaring their deeds" (Acts 
xix. 18). Confession has always been the prac- 
tice of the Church from the time of the Apostles 
to the present day. 

Confession must be made to a duly authorized 
priest, that is, one not only validly ordained, but 
also expressly delegated by the bishop in whose 
diocese he exercises his priestly faculties. He must 
have jurisdiction, as the lawyers say. 

Confession must be made in a spirit of faith — to 
obtain forgiveness. The very idea of confession 
requires that it be humble, sincere and entire. The 
contrite heart naturally has the humility which 
prompted the publican in the Temple to say, 
"Have mercy on me, Lord, for I am a sinner !" 
Like a patient in the presence of his physician, 
the truly contrite sinner will not permit shame or 
fear to keep him from disclosing the wounds of 



364 TEE TRUE RELIGION OF TO-DAY. 

his soul, but will confess his sins in all sincerity 
that he may be healed. Thus his confession will 
also be entire. Integrity, in fact, is the most im- 
portant quality of an honest confession. It re- 
quires the sinner to confess (1) every mortal sin, 
(2) the number of times a mortal sin was com- 
mitted, (3) the circumstances which change the 
nature of a sin, making it offend against two or 
more commandments at the same time. Aggra- 
vating circumstances need not be confessed. Sins 
forgotten — not concealed intentionally — do not 
make the confession bad. Still, they must be con- 
fessed if they ever come to mind. 

Objections. 

1. Confession is unnatural. — It is natural for 
man to confide in a fellow man, especially if he is 
recognized as a mediator between Christ and man. 

2. Confession is humiliating. — Granted. But 
not near so humiliating as the confession at the 
General Judgment. Every sin must be confessed 
and judged. Either you confess in private and be 
judged by God's mercy now, or confess in public 
and be judged by God's justice at the end of the 
world. 

3. Confession is an invention of priests. — Ho, 
Ho! If that were true (1) priests would have 
exempted themselves from its obligations. (2) 
History would give us the date of its invention 
and introduction. 



SATISFACTION. 365 

4. Confession is only a license to commit sin. — 
Nonsense. 

5. I would become a Catholic if it were not 
for confession. — And I would give up all Eeligion 
if there were no confession or forgiveness of sins 
and divine certainty of pardon. 

23. Satisfaction. 

Sacramental satisfaction consists in performing 
the penance imposed by the confessor. It is in- 
tended as a reparation for the past and as a safe- 
guard in the future. This satisfaction the confessor 
must impose and the penitent accept. It usually 
consists in making reparation for injury done to a 
neighbor, avoiding the occasion of sin, and the 
recitation of certain prayers or the performance of 
some good works. 

The reparation for the past consists in making 
atonement for the temporal punishment due to 
sin. We have already seen that, as a rule, there is 
more imperfection in man's repentance than in his 
transgression. In proportion as his contrition is 
imperfect, more or less temporal punishment re- 
mains. This is remitted at least in part by the 
sacramental penance. Whatever this penance or 
satisfaction may be, it should be performed as 
soon as possible. There are three reasons for this 
suggestion, viz.: (1) Because satisfaction is an in- 
tegral part of the sacrament. (2) Because as such 
it has special value in the sight of God. (3) Be- 
cause if deferred it is often entirely forgotten. 



366 TEE TRUE RELIGION OF TO-DAY. 

24. Extreme Unction. 

Extreme Unction is a sacrament which gives 
health to the soul and sometimes to the body, 
when we are in danger of death from sickness or 
accident. The external sign of this sacrament is 
the prayer and the anointing with holy oil. St. 
Mark tells us that the twelve Apostles on their mis- 
sionary journey during Our Saviour's lifetime 
"anointed with oil them that were sick, and healed 
them" (Mark v. 13). Extreme Unction was 
clearly promulgated by St. James. "Is any one 
pick among you?" he asks. "Let him bring in 
the priests of the Church, and let them pray over 
him, anointing him with oil in the name of the 
Lord. And the prayer of faith shall save the sick 
man ; and the Lord shall raise him up ; and if he 
be in sins, they shall be forgiven him" (Jas. v. 
14, 15). 

Being a sacrament of the living, Extreme 
Unction should be received in the state of grace. 
It should be received whenever a person is in 
danger of death, whether from sickness, a wound 
or an accident. Ordinarily it should be received 
after confession. But if a person becomes sud- 
denly very sick so that he cannot confess his sins 
or receive holy communion, Extreme Unction will 
forgive his sins if he has at least imperfect con- 
trition for the same. 

There are three special effects of Extreme 
Unction: (1) It gives peace of mind and con- 



VOCATION, 367 

formity to the divine will. (2) It remits the tem- 
poral punishment due to sin. (3) It restores 
health to the body when the same is beneficial to 
the soul. 

25. Vocation. 

Vocation is the divine call and preparation of a 
person to a particular state in life. A state in 
life is a fixed manner of living established substan- 
tially by almighty God. He, who arranges all 
things wisely and disposes all things sweetly, has 
established various states in life. By nature and 
by grace God prepares every individual for the 
place he is to fill in the divine plan. If man does 
not frustrate the designs of God, he will find his 
vocation as naturally and as infallibly as the 
flowers of the field exhibit their beauty and exhale 
their fragrance in due season. Every human being 
has his particular vocation. "Every one hath his 
proper gift from God, one after this manner, and 
another after that. As the Lord hath distributed 
to every one, as God hath called every one, so let 
him walk" (1 Cor.vii. 7,17). "Consider the lilies of 
the field, how they grow," says Our Saviour, "they 
labor not, neither do they spin. If God doth so 
clothe the grass of the field, which is to-day, and 
to-morrow is cast into the oven, how much more 
you, ye of little faith" (Matt. vi. 28). Again 
He says, "Fear not; the very hairs of your head 
are numbered" (Matt. x. 30). If God takes so 
great interest in what is trifling, how much greater 



368 TEE TRUE RE LI G I OX OF TO-DAY. 

interest will he take in the vocation and salvation 
of all of good will. God has shown His interest in 
man by destining him for heaven. But the good- 
ness of God did not stop there. That was only the 
beginning. He next mapped out for every human 
being a course through life adapted to his concrete 
nature and divine designs. By His fatherly 
providence He watches over the development of 
the vocation of every heavenly pilgrim. 

Divine vocations are of four kinds: (1) to the 
clerical state, (2) to the religious life, (3) to a 
life of virginity in the world, (4) to the married 
life. The general signs of a vocation are: (1) A 
constant desire or longing to sanctify oneself in 
a particular state. (2) Mental, moral and physi- 
cal fitness for that state. (3) The absence of any 
obligations that would prevent such a step from 
being lawfully taken. A pure and devout life is 
a necessary and sure preparation for any vocation 
that God may have given us. 

26. Holy Orders: The Catholic Hierarchy. 

Holy Orders is a sacrament by which bishops, 
priests, and other ministers of the Church are or- 
dained and receive the power and the grace to per- 
form their sacred duties. There are seven "Orders" 
in the Catholic Church, viz., (1) of porter, (2) of 
lector, (3) of exorcist, (4) of acolyte, (5) of sub- 
deacon, (6) of deacon, (7) of priest and bishop, 
the episcopate being the plenitude of the priest- 
hood. The first four are called Minor Orders, the 



HOLY ORDERS. 369 

latter three Major Orders. The Minor Orders and 
the subdeaconate are sacramentals instituted by the 
Church. The other Orders pertain to the sacra- 
ment and are divine institutions. 

To receive the sacrament of Holy Orders wor- 
thily it is necessary (1) to have a divine vocation, 
(2) to have the necessary knowledge and purity 
of life, (3) to be in the state of grace. 

The Catholic Hierarchy consists of clerics of 
various grades of power and jurisdiction. The word 
cleric is a Greek derivative and literally means in- 
heritance, signifying that the cleric is "the inherit- 
ance of the Lord, and the Lord is their in- 
heritance." A man becomes a cleric by means of 
a sacramental called the "Tonsure." This ecclesi- 
astical ceremony always precedes the conferring of 
Minor Orders. A cleric is also called an ecclesi- 
astic, because he is an official of the Church. 

The clerical state is essentially of divine insti- 
tution though in accidentals it is of ecclesiastical 
origin. The divine origin of this state is evident 
from the various words of Our Saviour to the Apos- 
tles : "As the Father has sent Me, so I send you." 
"Going therefore, teach all nations, baptizing them, 
etc." "Whose sins you shall forgive they are for- 
given them." "Do this in commemoration of Me." 
"You have not chosen Me but I have chosen you." 

Besides the persons of the seven Orders already 
mentioned, there are other persons who occupy 
places of honor and jurisdiction in the Catholic 
Hierarchy. Among these are specially to be men- 



370 THE TRUE RELIGION OF TO-DAY. 

tioned Archbishops, Patriarchs, Primates, Car- 
dinals, and the Holy Father or Pope. 

Clerics are bound by their state to live a life of 
holiness. Those in Major Orders are besides bound 
to celibacy, the recitation of the Breviary or Can- 
onical Hours, and in Catholic countries to the con- 
stant wearing of the cassock and the tonsure. 

27. The Religious State. 

The Religious State is the permanent mode of 
living in which Christian perfection is sought by 
the observance of the vows of poverty, chastity, and 
obedience, in community life according to a rule 
approved by the Church. To enter the Religious 
State two things are essential, (1) a perpetual re- 
ligious profession on the part of the individual; 
(2) the acceptance of this profession by competent 
authority. 

The Religious State is substantially of divine 
origin. Its details, however, are of ecclesiastical 
institution. It was counseled by our divine 
Saviour when He proposed the acquisition of per- 
fection by means of poverty, chastity, and obedi- 
ence (Matt. xix. 21, xix. 12, Luke ix. 23, 1 Cor. 
vii.). Hence the Religious State is natural and 
necessary to the Church as an integral part of her 
organization. 

From the days of Our Saviour generous souls 
have always been found to follow "the evangelical 
counsels." The same is true to-day, and will be 
to the end of the world. Individual orders or con- 



VIRGINITY. 371 

gregations may cease to exist, but the Religious 
State will continue as long as the Church. 

Eeligious life is divided: (1) According to the 
particular end of a society, into contemplative 
active, and mixed, according as the members de- 
vote themselves to a life of prayer and penance, a 
life of fraternal charity, or unite both occupations. 
Of these St. Thomas says the mixed religious life 
is most perfect, because it unites the perfection of 
both according to the example of Christ and His 
Apostles. (2) According to the vows taken, into 
Orders, Congregations, and Eeligious Institutes. 
Religious Orders have solemn vows, Religious Con- 
gregations make simple vows for life, Religious 
Institutes make only temporary vows or observe 
their spirit without binding themselves by vow. 

By special concessions Religious Congregations 
and Institutes share in most of the privileges of 
the older Religious Orders. 

28. Virginity : The Single Life in the World. 

The state of virginity is a fixed manner of liv- 
ing a single life in the world pleasing to God. St. 
Paul declares virginity more perfect than matri- 
mony, because more pleasing to God and in itself 
more conducive to salvation. "He that is with a 
wife is solicitous for the things of the world, how 
he may please his wife ; and he is divided. And the 
unmarried woman and the virgin thinketh on the 
things of the Lord, that she may be holy both in 
body and in spirit. But she that is married think- 



372 THE TRIE RELIGION OF TO-DAY. 

eth on the things of the world, how she may please 
her husband" (1 Cor. vii. 33, 34). 

Not every person living a single life in the world, 
however, is more pleasing to God than married 
persons. There are single persons in the world 
who are not striving after the perfection of the 
virginal state. They are not where they belong. 
Or did they remain single to "think of the things 
of the Lord, that they may be holy both in body 
and in spirit"? Or does their inordinate self-love 
refuse to make the sacrifices their vocation de- 
mands of them? An evil of our day is that many 
dissipate their mental, moral and physical strength 
by going after "the vanities, the riches and the 
pleasures" of life to the neglect of their true 
vocation. 

A life of virginity in the world must of its very 
nature partake more or loss of the life of Martha. 
Work, prayer, and patient suffering are the lot of 
every human life. The cleric works, suffers and 
prays for all the faithful. The religious does the 
same for the good of souls and special personal 
perfection. The married person must do the same 
for the welfare of the family. The virgin must 
also do the same for personal sanctification, as 
well as in the cause of fraternal charity. Special- 
signs of a vocation to the state of virginity would 
therefore be: (1) a particular love for that state, 
(2) duty of providing for aged parents, for depend- 
ent brothers or sisters, (3) special desire of doing 
God's work in the parish by (a) caring for church 



MATRIMONY. 373 

and altar, (b) keeping house for the pastor, (c) 
instructing the children, (d) promoting other good 
works. (4) Absence of qualifications for other 
states. 

A want of generosity in assuming the burdens 
either of the religious state or of the married state 
would certainly be no sign of a vocation to the state 
of virginity, but rather of a rebellion against the 
designs of the Almighty. 

29. Matrimony. 

Matrimony as a state is a fixed manner of living 
established by almighty God. This is clear from 
the history of creation as well as from the Saviour's 
words, "What God hath joined together let no man 
put asunder" (Matt. xix. 6). As a sacrament 
Matrimony unites a Christian man and woman in 
lawful marriage. A vocation is as necessary to 
secure salvation in the married, as in any other 
state. In one sense this vocation is even more 
necessary. It is in fact the union of two vocations 
in one moral life. Let the young persons who feel 
themselves called to the married state not become 
inordinately solicitous on account of this diffi- 
culty in their vocation. If God has called you, He 
has also called some one else. So prepare your- 
selves by a pure and devout life for the marriage 
feast. Do you doubt? If God is so good as to 
have counted the very hairs of your head, so that 
"not one shall be lost without His knowledge and 



374 THE TRUE RELIGION OF TO-DAY. 

consent/' how much more is He interested in the 
yearnings of your heart, "0 ye of little faith !" 

Why are many married persons unhappy? (1) 
Because some embrace that state who are not 
called to it. (2) Because many enter it through 
false motives. Those have missed their calling, 
these have forgotten that "house and riches are 
given by parents ; but a prudent wife [husbandl is 
properly from the Lord" (Prov. xix. 13). (3) 
Others have not heeded the advice of the Angel 
Raphael to Tobias: "They who in such a manner 
receive matrimony as to shut out God from them- 
selves and from their mind, and give themselves 
to their lust, over them the devil hath power" 
(Tob. vi. 17). All whom God has called to the 
marriage state He brings to that state by His 
Bpecial providence if His designs are not antici- 
pated, compromised or frustrated. In a union 
which is of God there is (1) harmony of tem- 
perament, (2) harmony of thought and aspiration, 
(3) harmony of affection and self-sacrifice. It is 
happy by nature. It is rendered more happy by 
grace. This is why the saying has it that "happy 
marriages are made in heaven." 

There is no vocation to a mixed marriage ac- 
cording to God's ordinary providence. He loves 
His children too well to place them at so great a 
disadvantage. If mixed marriages are not prompt- 
ed by "the world, the flesh or the devil," they cer- 
tainly are not calculated to promote the salvation 
of the souls concerned. The Catholic Church tol- 



INDULGENCES. 375 

erates such "unions when she cannot prevent them. 
But she never blesses mixed marriages. 

30. Indulgences. 

An indulgence is a remission of temporal pun- 
ishment due to sin. It may be a full, or only a 
partial remission. According as it is the one or 
the other, it is called a plenary or a partial indul- 
gence. This remission is called an indulgence 
from the Latin word "indulgere," which means to 
treat kindly, because it is an act of special kind- 
ness on the part of the Church to apply the merits 
of Christ to our souls outside of the sacraments. 

To appreciate this kindness on the part of the 
Church we must call to mind: (1) The nature 
and effects of sin; (2) The power of the Church 
to remit the entire sin through the merits of 
Christ. A sin offends God and makes the sinner 
guilty of punishment. The offence may be venial 
or mortal, the punishment correspondingly tem- 
poral or eternal. If the sinner is in the right 
disposition, the Church has power to forgive the 
offence and to remit the entire punishment. When 
the sinner actually comes to confession, however, 
he often has but imperfect contrition. His con- 
version is not as whole-souled as his transgression. 
Hence, though the offence and the eternal punish- 
ment are always forgiven in a good confession, a 
temporal punishment often remains. Can the 
Church forgive this temporal punishment also? 
Certainly; she has the infinite merits of Him at 



376 THE TRUE RELIGION OF TO-DAY. 

her disposal, who said, "Whose sins you shall for- 
give they are forgiven them." Must the Church 
remit this temporal punishment? By no means. 
She has done her duty in granting pardon in the 
confessional. That this temporal punishment 
still remains is the result of a want of perfect 
conversion on the part of the sinner. He may 
satisfy for it by works of penance. He may wait 
to be purified in the fire of purgatory. The Church 
may kindly come to his aid. Like a mother sup- 
plementing her child's ablutions, she may make up 
for negligence. By applying outside of the sacra- 
ments the merits of Christ to that soul she does 
an act of kindness : she grants an indulgence. 

To encourage her children to make use of the 
means of grace and lead devout lives, Mother 
Church has enriched various prayers and pious 
practices with "indulgences." A plenary indul- 
gence is easily understood. It is a remission of all 
temporal punishment. A partial indulgence is 
measured by days, quarantines, a space of forty 
days, and years. An indulgence of one hundred 
days means a remission of as much temporal pun- 
ishment, through the merits of Christ, as the sin- 
ner would earn by doing penance for that length 
of time according to the ancient laws of the 
Church, e. g., if he fasted on bread and water for 
that period of time. 

To gain an indulgence it is necessary : (1) To 
be in the state of grace; (2) To have the inten- 
tion of gaining indulgences; (3) To perform the 



SACRAMENTALS. 377 

works' prescribed. St. Alphonsus rightly calls the 
gaining of indulgences the short cut to heaven. 
This practice (1) puts one on his guard against 
sin. (2) It multiplies prayers and good works. 
(3) It enriches one constantly with the merits of 
Christ. A resolution which every Catholic should, 
therefore, renew daily is to gain as many indul- 
gences as possible. 

31. Sacramentals. 

Sacramentals are external acts of Keligion, es- 
tablished by the Church to draw God's favors upon 
the faithful (Marc). These religious acts are 
called sacramentals from their resemblance to the 
sacraments. They differ from these, however, both 
in their origin and in their effect. The sacraments 
were instituted by Jesus Christ, the sacramentals 
by the Church. The sacraments give grace, the 
sacramentals obtain grace by way of intercession. 

The sacramentals of the Church are very numer- 
ous. They may, however, be reduced to four 
classes: (1) The rites and ceremonies used in the 
administration of the sacraments; (2) Blessings 
and exorcisms used independently of the sacra- 
ments; (3) The use of sacred names, signs and 
things, such as the name of Jesus, the sign of tiie 
cross, the use of the blessed articles; (4) The use 
of pious exercises, as the recitation of the Lord's 
Prayer, the Confiteor, praying in a consecrated 
church, giving alms prescribed by the Church, and 
many others. 



378 THE TRUE RELIGION OF TO-DAY. 

Five kinds of effects are produced by a devout 
use of sacramentals : (1) They excite good thoughts 
and increase devotion; (2) They remit venial sin 
by inspiring one with contrition for the same; (3) 
They remit temporal punishment, as satisfactory 
actions; (-4) They strengthen one against tempta- 
tion and put the powers of darkness to flight; (5) 
They often procure health of body and other tem- 
poral favors. 

The intercessory power of a sacramental is 
greater than that of a private prayer. It unites 
the official prayer of the Church to the prayer and 
good will of the faithful. The prayer of the 
Church is ever acceptable at the throne of mercy. 
The efficacy of a sacramental practically depends 
on the disposition of the faithful. 

32. The Blessings of the Church. 

A blessing, as a sacramental, is an ecclesiastical 
ceremony which confers a religious title to divine 
protection or to the exercise of worship. It is 
performed by the priest in the name of the Church 
by invoking God's name and making the sign of 
the cross. Blessings are chiefly of two kinds, (1) 
of invocation; (2) of consecration. A blessing of 
invocation may have for its object either a person 
or a thing. If a person, it draws the divine pro- 
tection upon that person to deliver him from cer- 
tain evils, or to obtain for him certain favors. 
If the object is a thing, the blessing makes that 



THE BLESSINGS OF THE CHURCH. 379 

thing an instrument of divine protection to all 
who reverently use it. 

A blessing of consecration consists in elevating 
a person or a thing from the profane to the sacred 
state, so that the abuse of the same entails the 
malice of sacrilege. 

Why does the Church bless ? To make all things 
channels of grace as they were before sin came 
into the world. We read in the Bible that God 
blessed everything He made. Thus everything 
was not only subject to man, but actually laden 
with heavenly blessings for him. This dominion, 
however, was lost by sin, and by sin also God was 
moved to curse the earth. "Earth felt the wound 
and nature through all her works gave signs of 
woe" (Milton). By His cruel death upon the 
cross of shame, the Son of God finally triumphed 
over the powers of Satan. Since then the cross 
is not only the sign of Eedemption, but also the 
means by which the Church applies the merits of 
Christ to the faithful, and reconsecrates the crea- 
tures of God to His service. She has a blessing for 
everything man uses. The official prayer which 
constitutes the blessing is not the prayer of an 
individual. It is the prayer of the entire Church. 
The Church is especially composed of all holy 
souls on earth, the suffering souls in purgatory, 
and the angels and saints in heaven, with Christ 
and His Blessed Mother at their head. Will God 
ever turn a deaf ear to such a prayer? Never. 



380 THE TRIE RELIGION OF TODAY. 

33. Articles of Devotion. 

An article of devotion is a thing withdrawn from 
profane use and devoted to the private exercise of 
piety or Eeligion. Its use is a sacramental of the 
Church. There are many articles of devotion with 
which every Catholic ought to be familiar. Among 
these may be specially mentioned the crucifix, holy 
pictures, rosary beads, medals, scapulars, candles, 
holy water, blessed palms, etc., etc. 

Every Catholic home should be a miniature 
chapel and school. In this chapel family worship 
should be held. In this school the little ones should 
be taught the first principles of their holy Re- 
ligion. Articles of devotion are the essentials for 
family worship and education. Hence, an in- 
fallible sign of a lively faith in a Catholic home 
is the use which is there made of articles of de- 
votion. "Where your treasure is," says Our Saviour. 
"there will your heart also be" (Matt vi. 21). If 
articles of devotion give a Catholic atmosphere to 
a home, we naturally infer on entering it that a 
practical Catholic family resides there. If, how- 
ever, we enter a home where the crucifix is concealed 
in the bedroom, the holy pictures stored away in 
some trunk, no Bible, no prayer-books, no rosary 
beads, no holy-water fonts visible anywhere, we 
infer quite naturally that no Catholic spirit dwells 
there. Don't say, "That's not the style to-day!" 
Style? When was it the style of the ignorance, 
passion and human respect of the world to confess 



CATHOLIC DEVOTIONS. 381 

Jesus Christ? To glory with St. Paul in Christ 
crucified? Let the slaves of style meditate on 
these words of the Saviour, "He that shall deny 
Me before men, shall be denied before the angels 
of God" (Luke xii. 9). 

34. Catholic Devotions. 

Catholic devotions are pious practices which re- 
sult from the habit of devotion. True devotion, 
as we have seen, is the habitual will to do promptly 
whatever belongs to the service of God. It cheer- 
fully gives God His due. When a person once 
recognizes that he is the child of God, the well- 
beloved child of God, without any merits of his 
own, his heart goes out to God with grateful love. 
This love expands the heart with generosity and 
inflames it with fervor. The result is devotion, 
or that constant good will to become more and 
more pleasing to God and His saints. Hence, true 
devotion may be recognized (1) in a strong prac- 
tical will; (2) in the promptitude and alacrity 
with which we serve God; (3) in the continuance 
of these dispositions; (4) in the sanctification of 
our ordinary actions; (5) in patient suffering; 
(6) in unselfishness and self-denial. 

"By mistaking the effect for the cause," says 
Father Faber, "many seek devotion in sweetnesses, 
in freedom from temptations, in a multitude of 
practices or in a sensible love. Others seek it in 
pious images and practices, in vehement resolu- 
tions, in increasing austerities, in sighs and tears 



382 THE TRUE RELIGION OF TO-DAY. 

and violent contrition. Others again place it in 
ability to echo the fervent words of others or in 
discerning what God is actually doing for souls. 
Such mistakes (1) weaken the head; (2) make 
us unreal; (3) make us foolish; (4) make us 
sad; (5) squander our energies; (6) retard our 
true spiritual progress." 

In addition to the essential debt of Religion the 
devout Christian gives God spontaneous marks of 
esteem and gratitude, and seeks His favors by 
various pious practices. When these pious prac- 
tices are in harmony with the mind of the Church, 
they are called Catholic Devotions. They are a 
development of the spirit of worship in general and 
of the virtue of piety in particular. They are the 
inevitable result of serious meditation on the 
mysteries of God's goodness and on the truth of 
human infirmity. 

There are various Catholic devotions in honor 
of the Blessed Trinity, of Our Saviour, of the 
Blessed Virgin, as well as of the angels and saints. 
Not every pious practice is suited or intended for 
every individual. The Holy Ghost leads different 
souls by their natural character and by super- 
natural attraction to different devotions. Still, we 
must all be on our guard against false devotions, 
such as are (1) too subtle; (2) singular and 
uncommon; (3) too high for us personally. 

35. Devotion to the Blessed Sacrament. 

The devotion to the Blessed Sacrament is de- 



DEVOTION TO BLESSED SACRAMENT. 383 

votion to Jesus Christ in the Sacrament of His 
love. Among all the practical devotions in the 
Catholic Churchy this is most excellent, universal 
and necessary. It is most excellent because in 
the Blessed Sacrament we honor Christ in the 
perfection of the incarnation, in the fullness of 
His love, in the plenitude of His goodness. It is 
the most universal because it is found "from the 
rising of the sun to the going down of the same," 
is adapted to the hearts of all nations and cherished 
by persons of all ages and walks in life. It is most 
necessary because it enters into the idea of Catho- 
lic worship, is begotten in divine charity and has 
the Sacrament of God's love for its object. 

If Catholics did but realize that the God of the 
universe, their Creator, their loving Eedeemer, 
their Judge and Eewarder, became their Em- 
manuel for their sake, they would show their love 
and gratitude by gladly erecting the costliest 
churches their means would permit. They would 
consider it a privilege to beautify a resting-place 
for Him who has prepared for them a mansion in 
the kingdom of heaven. They would assist at holy 
Mass not only on Sundays, but also as often as 
possible on week-days. Instead of finding it too 
hot or too cold, too long or too tedious to assist 
at Vespers and Benediction, they would take time 
to visit their Lord and Saviour even during the 
fleeting moments of the day. How often does 
man dote on earthly friends, who talk against him 
in his absence, and ignore this best Friend he has ! 



384 THE TRUE RELIGION OF TO-DAY. 

The special effects of true devotion to the Blessed 
Sacrament are (1) a spiritual joy or heavenly 
sweetness in the service of God; (2) a spirit of 
adoration which enables us to see evidences of 
God's goodness everywhere; (3) a spirit of grati- 
tude, so necessary in this age of selfishness; (4) 
the divine virtue of simplicity, which makes man 
"meek and humble of heart"; (5) a love for a 
hidden and retired life, so diametrically opposed 
to the spirit of the world and of our times. 

36. Frequent Communion. 

The frequent reception of holy communion is 
an excellent means of manifesting devotion to the 
Blessed Sacrament and zeal for spiritual progress. 
It is true that the law of the Church obliges the 
faithful to receive holy communion only once a 
year under pain of mortal sin. An annual com- 
munion, however, cannot satisfy a devout Chris- 
tian. Love alone can prescribe here. Love neces- 
sarily tends to union. Holy communion is not only 
the actual union with Our Lord and Saviour, but 
also the most efficacious means of transforming a 
true Christian into a real child of God. 

Two things must influence the devout Christian 
in the practice of frequent communion, (1) rev- 
erence for this Adorable Sacrament; (2) the 
spiritual welfare of the communicant. These 
should increase with the frequency of communion. 

In the natural order too frequent meals, even 
of most wholesome food, will gradually give dis- 



DEVOTION TO TEE SACRED HEART. 385 

gust for all food and injure the health. The same 
dangers exist in the spiritual life. When a healthy 
person works hard, he has an appetite for three 
meals a day and may relish a lunch besides. But 
when he is idle, he finds no relish even for his 
usual meals. So in the spiritual life, if a Chris- 
tian works hard by recollection, self-denial and de- 
votion, he creates a healthy appetite for this food 
of the soul. In proportion, therefore, as a Chris- 
tian goes against his natural inclinations, in pro- 
portion as he avoids (1) mortal sin, (2) deliberate 
venial sins, ( 3 ) deliberate affection for venial sin ; 
in that same proportion will he have a relish for 
and profit by a monthly, a weekly and even a daily 
communion. If, then, he devotes proportionate 
time and attention to his preparation and thanks- 
giving — which should naturally increase with his 
familiarity with Our Lord — reverence will be main- 
tained and the greatest possible benefit will be de- 
rived from frequent communion. A spiritual com- 
munion in the course of the day is a beautiful 
means both of preserving the fruits of frequent 
communion and of increasing them in our souls. 
A spiritual communion is made by ardently de- 
siring to receive our sacramental Lord into our 
heart and entertaining Him in spirit as though 
He had sacramentally come into our heart. 

37. Devotion to the Sacred Heart. 

The devotion to the Sacred Heart consists in 
paying special homage to the Sacred Heart of 



386 THE TRUE RELIGION OF TO-DAY. 

Jesus as the organ and symbol of His love. The 
Heart of Jesus is the material organ of His 
human love for man. It warmed the blood that 
was shed for us on Calvary. By the universal 
consent of mankind the heart is considered the 
symbol of love. Hence the Sacred Heart of Jesus 
is also the symbol of that love wherewith God loved 
us from eternity, as well as of that love with 
which Jesus Christ loved all mankind while He 
was on earth and with which He still loves us in 
heaven and in the Adorable Sacrament of the 
Altar. 

The Sacred Heart of Jesus is, therefore, the 
material object of this devotion. Its formal object, 
or the reason, is the love of Jesus Christ for man- 
kind. Thus this devotion is very akin to the devo- 
tion to the Blessed Sacrament. 

The advantages of this devotion are clearly 
stated in the promises which Jesus Christ made to 
St. Margaret Mary Alicoque. In His infinite love 
He said: 

1. I will give them who practise this devotion, 
all the graces necessary for their state in life. 

2. I will establish peace in their families. 

3. I will console them in all their trials. 

4. I will be their sure refuge in life, but es- 
pecially in death. 

5. I will pour abundant blessings on all their 
undertakings. 

6. Sinners will find my heart the infinite 
ocean of mercy. 



TEE WAY OF THE CROSS. 387 

7. Tepid souls shall grow fervent. 

8. Fervent souls shall advance rapidly to per- 
fection. 

9. I will bless the dwellings in which the image 
of My Heart is exposed and honored. 

10. I will give priests the power to touch most 
hardened hearts. 

11. All who spread this devotion shall have 
their names written on My Heart, never to be ef- 
faced. 

12. I will grant to all who communicate on the 
first Friday for nine consecutive months the grace 
of final repentance. They shall not die in My dis- 
pleasure, nor without the sacraments. 

38. The Way of the Cross. 

The Way of the Cross is a popular devotion in 
honor of the suffering and death of Our Saviour. 
In former times the faithful made pilgrimages 
to the Holy Land at great cost and fatigue to 
visit the places sanctified by Our Saviour's pres- 
ence, especially by His suffering and death. When 
the Holy Land fell into the hands of the Moham- 
medans, however, this touching devotion became 
morally impossible for centuries. As a substitute 
the stations of the Way of the Cross were intro- 
duced. In its present form this devotion origi- 
nated with the Franciscans about the middle of the 
fourteenth century. It consists in venerating four- 
teen crosses, usually accompanied with as many 
pictures or images, representing the most touching 



388 THE TRUE RELIGION OF TO-DAY. 

scenes in the history of Our Saviour's suffering, 
from His condemnation to His burial. These pic- 
tures, surmounted by the crosses, are called sta- 
tions. They are erected in nearly every church 
or public chapel. This devotion is enriched with 
very many partial and plenary indulgences. 

By visiting the "stations" in succession, and 
praying before each, we are enabled to imitate the 
fervor of Catholics in former days. To make the 
Way of the Cross it is essential to visit the sta- 
tions in succession, as far as circumstances will 
permit, and to meditate at the same time on Our 
Lord's suffering and death. 

Those who for any reason cannot visit the sta- 
tions in a church or chapel may make the Way 
of the Cross at home. In doing this they must 
hold in their hands a crucifix, specially blessed 
for this purpose, and recite before it the Our 
Father, the Hail Mary and the Glory be to the 
Father fourteen times, adding the same prayers 
five times in honor of the five wounds of Our 
Saviour, and concluding with one Our Father, 
one Hail Mary and one Glory be to the Father for 
the intention of the Pope. 

39. Devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary. 

True devotion to the Blessed Virgin is consid- 
ered by the saints a sign of predestination. We 
have already considered the reasons Catholics have 
for honoring and loving Mary. We now repeat 
that we cannot overdo our devotion to her, who 



DEVOTION TO TEE VIRGIN MARY. 389 

received such extraordinary marks of devotion 
from Jesus Himself. Can the love of a child for 
its mother be too tender, too confiding, too self- 
sacrificing? Never; neither can the devotion of 
Catholics for their spiritual Mother be overdone 
as long as it is rightly done. Tender ? What child 
was as tenderly devoted to parent as Jesus was to 
Mary? Confiding? Why, Jesus actually con- 
fided Himself unreservedly to Mary's care. He 
wrought His first miracle to please her. Self- 
sacrificing? Did not Jesus devote thirty years 
of His life to Mary and only three to the rest of 
mankind ? 

Devotion as an effect of love shows itself by 
zeal for the interest of the beloved. By applying 
this doctrine to the devotion of Catholics for 
Mary, we find the reason why their minds and 
hearts turn to her as the magnet of the compass 
turns to the north. As a good child always re- 
mains in communion with its mother, so the child 
of Mary communes with her by prayer, pious 
ejaculations, fervent sighs, holy desires, and con- 
fiding invocations. 

A loving child strives to honor its mother. It 
is the same with a devout child of Mary. A devout 
client of Mary honors her by treasuring her image, 
her medals, her beads. A true child of Mary per- 
severes in practising some of the devotions which, 
the Church has approved in her honor. A child 
of Mary celebrates her feasts in a special manner. 
It is natural for a child to imitate what it admires 



390 THE TRUE RELIGION OF TO-DAY. 

in its mother's conduct. It is the same with the 
devoted children of Mary. They find it sweet to 
imitate her humility, her simplicity, her purity, 
her obedience, her generosity, and her fervor in the 
service of God. Children try to induce others to 
honor their parents. So the children of Mary try 
to bring others to a knowledge of Mary's excel- 
lence and to love her for her goodness. Such a 
child of Mary can never be lost. In this devotion 
it possesses the special protection of Mary, which 
is a sign of final perseverance. 

40. The Rosary. 

The recitation of the Rosary is a pious practice 
in honor of Mary. It is a popular devotion 
specially pleasing to her. The devotion of the 
Rosary consists in reciting certain prayers in honor 
of Mary, while meditating on particular events in 
her life or that of her divine Son. The various 
prayers that make up the Rosary are : ( 1 ) The 
sign of the cross; (2) the Apostles' Creed; (3) 
the Our Father; (4) the Hail Mary; and (5) 
the Glory be to the Father, or minor doxology. To 
observe order in reciting these vocal prayers, we 
count the same on beads, specially arranged for 
this purpose, which are held together by a string 
or a tiny chain. 

There are fifteen events in the lives of Jesus and 
Mary which we call to mind in reciting the Rosary. 
They are divided into three groups of five events, 
or mysteries, each. The first group refers to the 



TEE SCAPULAR. 391 

infancy of Our Lord; the second to His suffering 
and death; the last to the triumphs of Jesus and 
Mary. They are, therefore, called the Joyful, the 
Sorrowful, and the Glorious Mysteries. 

We begin the recitation of the Eosary with the 
sign of the cross, the Apostles' Creed and one 
Our Father, three Hail Mary's, and one Glory be 
to the Father for an increase of the divine virtues 
of faith, hope and charity. We then recite one 
Our Father, ten Hail Mary's, and one Glory be to 
the Father while meditating on each event, or 
mystery, of the Eosary. 

The devotion of the Eosary is most excellent in 
itself as well as in its use. It is composed of 
the most venerable prayers mankind possesses. It 
unites the recitation of these vocal prayers to de- 
vout reflection on the whole Eedemption work, thus 
riveting the attention while suggesting noble ideals 
to the mind and powerful notions of charity to 
the heart. In its use, the Eosary is equally adapted 
to the comprehension of young and old, learned 
and ignorant. This feature makes the Eosary pre- 
eminently a Catholic devotion. 

41. The Scapular. 

The devotion of the scapular consists in pious- 
ly wearing a certain badge in honor of Mary. This 
badge is called the scapular from the Latin word 
"scapula," which means shoulder, because it is 
worn suspended from the shoulders. The scapu- 
lar represents the outer garment,, or liabit, of a 



392 TEE TRUE RELIGION OF TODAY. 

religious order. It consists of two small square 
pieces of woolen cloth, united by strings. It is 
worn suspended from the shoulders in such a way 
that one piece rests upon the back and the other 
upon the breast of the wearer. 

There are various scapulars. The most vener- 
able is the Brown Scapular of Mt. Carmel. Others 
are the White Scapular of the Blessed Trinity, the 
Blue Scapular of the Immaculate Conception, the 
Black Scapular of Our Lady of Sorrows, and the 
Red Scapular of the Passion and of the Sacred 
Heart. These five scapulars are usually worn 
together on one pair of red woolen strings. They 
constitute the well-known "Five Scapulars." 

Three reasons' may be mentioned that prompt 
millions of Catholics to wear the scapular. (1) 
The scapular is the livery of the Blessed Virgin. 
By wearing them a Catholic enters into a tacit 
agreement with her and places himself under her 
special protection during life, but especially at 
the hour of death. (2) By wearing the scapulars 
a person joins a pious confraternity and shares 
in all the prayers and good works of the same. (3) 
Finally, the wearing of the scapulars in a spirit 
of devotion enables a person to gain many valuable 
indulgences with which the Church has enriched 
this pious practice. 

To share in all these privileges it is necessary, 
(1) To be properly invested; (2) To wear the 
scapulars continually; (3) It is also customary for 
every member of the confraternity to say at least 



TRIDUUMS, NOVENAS, AND OCTAVES. 393 

one Our Father and one Hail Mary for the welfare 
of the members and the intention of the confra- 
ternity. 

42. Triduums, Novenas, and Octaves. 

Triduums, novenas, and octaves are three, nine 
or eight days of prayer respectively in celebrating 
a feast of the Church or in asking a special favor 
from heaven. Devout souls prepare for the greater 
feasts of the Church by a triduum or novena, and 
then celebrate the same with an octave, or a week's 
special commemoration. 

This kind of prayer is particularly efficacious 
and dates from Apostolic times. In fact the 
Apostles themselves made a novena in preparation 
for the coming of the Holy Ghost. After the As- 
cension of Our Lord into Heaven, "They returned 
to Jerusalem from the mount that is called Olivet, 
which is nigh Jerusalem, within a Sabbath day's 
journey. And when they were come in, they went 
up into an upper room where abode Peter and 
John, James and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, 
Bartholomew and Matthew, James of Alpheus 
and Simon Zelotes, and Jude, the brother of 
James. All these were persevering with one mind 
in prayer with the women, and Mary the Mother 
of Jesus, and with His brethren" (Acts i. 12-14). 
"And when the days of Pentecost were accom- 
plished, they were all together in one place. And 
they were all filled with the Holy Ghost" (Acts 
ii. 1, 4). 



394 THE TRUE RELIGIOX OF TO-DAY. 

No particular prayers are necessary to celebrate 
a triduum, novena or octave. The least that a 
person can do is (1) to say a decade of the beads 
daily and (2) receive holy communion on the 
concluding day. When a whole family makes a 
novena in common, they may observe the follow- 
ing order with profit: (1) Receive the sacraments 
en the first day; (2) Recite the Rosary together 
before the family shrine daily for nine days; (3) 
Promise to have a holy Mass said in thanksgiving ; 
(4) Go to confession and communion again on the 
tenth day. 

43. Sodalities and Confraternities. 

Sodalities and confraternities are religious so- 
cieties. Their object is to further the spiritual 
welfare of all the members. There is truth in the 
old saying, "In union there is strength," no mat- 
ter how it is applied. Man realizes that life is a 
warfare, that salvation is a difficult matter. He 
naturally, therefore, avails himself of the advant- 
ages which a concerted union with his fellow men 
offers him. As a social being, he finds it pleasant 
to associate with others that are of the same mind 
and heart as himself. In such a union a person 
always receives more than he gives. He also 
fulfils the precept of St. Paul, who says, "Bear 
ye one another's burdens, and so you shall fulfil 
the law of Christ" (Gal. vi. 2). The following 
are some of the advantages of belonging to a so- 
dality or confraternity : (1) We associate with the 



BENEVOLENT SOCIETIES. 395 

best Catholics of the parish; (2) It is a most 
potent means of acquiring virtue; (3) It is the 
source of innumerable blessings; (4) It is the 
pledge of an honorable and happy life; (5) It 
merits the special protection of heaven; (6) It 
prompts us to say special prayers and receive the 
sacraments frequently. 

The obligations which a person assumes in join- 
ing such a society are: (1) To attend the meetings 
faithfully; (2) To be pleasant and edifying to- 
wards the associates; (3) To do nothing in private 
that would reflect discredit upon the society; (4) 
To take an active interest in the society and try 
to promote its welfare. 

44. Benevolent Societies. 

Benevolent societies seek the material good of 
their members and of those dependent on the 
same. They aim to accomplish this end: (1) By • 
uniting many individuals by the bonds of special 
brotherhood; (2) By accumulating a fund, by 
means of small assessments, and using the same 
to aid the members in time of sickness and death. 
The usual advantages of benevolent societies are: 
(1) The social advantage of fellowship which 
often ripens into friendship; (2) The aid received 
in securing employment and promotion; (3) 
Fraternal and financial aid in time of sickness and 
want; (4) The payment of an "insurance" after 
the lapse of a certain period of time, or to the 
relatives at the time of the death of a member. 



396 THE TRIE RELIGION OF TO-DAY. 

During that period of the Middle Ages which 
witnessed the transition of the masses from serf- 
dom to citizenship, benevolent societies, fostered 
and directed by the Catholic Church, proved a 
great blessing to the people. In our own day, ben- 
evolent societies properly organized and governed 
afford some of the same advantages, especially to 
persons who are strangers in a locality or who have 
but limited means of providing for the future. 

Three reasons may be given to account for the 
fact that during the past century about one hun- 
dred benevolent societies in the United States have 
dissolved : — 

1. Many were not established on a business 
basis and went bankrupt. 

2. Many others mixed religion with business 
and developed into religious societies. 

3. Some were robbed by corrupt officials or 
used to further their selfish motives. 

45. Conclusion. 

You have come to the end of this little Guide- 
Book, but I hope not to the end of your "good 
will." Are you a Catholic? Then bear in mind 
that "of him to whom much has been given much 
will be required/' God has a right to expect a 
more generous, a more loyal service from you than 
from others who have not enjoyed your religious 
advantages. To be "able to give a reason for the 
hope that is in you" is a great deal. Still, knowl- 
edge alone will save no one. You must do good, 



CONCLUSION. 397 

positive good. You must cultivate the heart. 
"Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with thy whole 
heart" (Matt. xxii. 37). "Thou shalt love thy 
neighbor as thyself" (xxii. 39). "So let your light 
shine before men, that they may see your good 
works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven" 
(Matt. v. 16). You must deny yourself in many 
things to follow your crucified Saviour, to save 
your soul, to "lay up treasures in heaven, where 
neither the rust nor moth doth consume, and 
where thieves do not break through, nor steal" 
(Matt. vi. 20). 

You are not a Catholic? My heart is moved 
with compassion for you, whether this be entirely 
your misfortune or partly your fault. Do you 
doubt that God is good and wants to save you? 
You admit that you must go His way to heaven? 
If God is so wise and so good, would He hide His 
truth from an honest mind, or permit an honest 
heart to despair of the means of salvation? If 
you have a good will, you will obtain certainty in 
Religion. You will find peace of mind and heart 
in its possession. Follow the light, then. Take 
counsel with your better self. Make any sacrifice 
to save your soul. For "what will it profit a man 
if he gain the whole world but suffer the loss of 
his soul?" Ask God for light and strength, that 
you may not fall like a little child that is just 
learning to walk. Be honest ; be honest with God. 
He is "the searcher of hearts." Show Him that 



398 TEE TRUE RELIGIOX OF TO-DAY. 

you are "of good will." If you "desire to walk 
in sincerity and truth," His loving providence 
will lead you to the one true Church. There 
you will have peace of mind in the possession of 
His truth. There you can have peace of heart in 
the testimony of a conscience that is at rest. There 
alone you can find the means and the assurance of 
the undying peace and happiness of heaven. 



APPENDIX OF PRAYERS. 

The sign of the cross. The sign of the cross 
is made by putting the right hand to the forehead, 
then to the breast, and then to the left and right 
shoulders, saying, "In the name of the Father, 
and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, Amen." 

The sign of the cross is a profession in the 
chief mysteries of the true Religion. The words 
"in the name" express the Unity of God. The 
words that follow, "of' the Father, and of the Son, 
and of the Holy Ghost," express the mystery of the 
Trinity. The making of the sign of the cross ex- 
presses the mystery of the Incarnation and Re- 
demption by reminding us that the Son of God 
came down from heaven, suffered and died on the 
cross to save us from perdition and bring us to 
salvation. 

The Our Father. "Our Father, who art in 
heaven, hallowed be Thy name: Thy kingdom come. 
'T'hy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give 
us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our 
trespasses as we forgive them who trespass against 
us. And lead us not into temptation. But de- 
liver us from evil. Amen" (Matt. vi. 9-13). 

The Hail Mary. "Hail, Mary, full of grace; the 
Lord is with thee : blessed art thou among women" 
(Luke i. 28), "and blessed is the fruit of thy 

399 



400 APPENDIX OF PRAYERS. 

womb" (Luke i. 42), "Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother 
of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour 
of our death. Amen" (Council of Eph.). 

The Apostles' Creed. "I believe in God, the 
Father almighty, Creator of heaven and earth; 
and in Jesus Christ, His only Son, Our Lord ; who 
was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the 
Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was 
crucified, died and was buried. He descended into 
hell: the third day he rose again from the dead: 
He ascended into heaven, sitteth at the right hand 
of God, the Father almighty; from thence He 
6hall come to judge the living and the dead. I 
believe in the Holy Ghost, the holy Catholic 
Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness 
of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life 
everlasting. Amen." 

The Christian Acts. (1) An Act of Faith. "0 
my God, I firmly believe that Thou art one God in 
three divine Persons, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. 
I believe that Thy divine Son became Man and 
died for our sins, and that He will come to judge 
the living and the dead. I believe these and all 
the truths which the holy Catholic Church teaches, 
because Thou hast revealed them, who canst 
neither deceive nor be deceived." 

(2) An Act of Hope. "0 my God, relying on 
Thy infinite goodness and Thy promises, I hope to 
obtain pardon of my sins, the help of Thy grace, 
and life everlasting, through the merits of Jesus 
Christ, my Lord and Kedeemer." 



APPENDIX OF PRAYERS. 401 

(3) An Act of Love. "0 my God, I love Thee 
above all things, with my whole heart and soul, 
because Thou art all-good and worthy of all love. 
I love my neighbor as myself for the love of Thee. 
I forgive all who have injured me, and ask pardon 
of all whom I have injured/' 

An Act of Contrition. "0 my God, I am heartily 
sorry for having offended Thee, and I detest all my 
sins, because I dread the loss of heaven and the 
pains of hell, but most of all because they offend 
Thee, my God, who art all-good and deserving of 
all my love. I firmly resolve, with the help of 
Thy grace, to confess my sins, to do penance, and 
to amend my life." 

The Confiteor. (1) The short form used in sacra- 
mental confession. "I confess to almighty God 
and to you, Father, that I have sinned." Having 
told the time of your last good confession and con- 
fessed your sins, conclude with, "For these and 
the sins of my past life I am heartily sorry, and 
I will never sin again." 

(2) The long form. "I confess to almighty 
God, to the blessed Mary, ever Virgin, to blessed 
Michael the archangel, to blessed John the Bap- 
tist, to the holy Apostles Peter and Paul, and to 
all the saints, that I have sinned exceedingly in 
thought, word, and deed, through my fault, through 
my fault, through my most grievous fault. There- 
fore I beseech thee, blessed Mary, ever Virgin, 
blessed Michael the archangel, blessed John the 
Baptist, the holy Apostles Peter and Paul, and all 



402 APPENDIX OF PRAYERS. 

the saints, to pray to the Lord our God for me. — 
May the almighty God have mercy on me, and for- 
give me my sins, and bring me to everlasting life. 
May the almighty and merciful Lord grant me 
pardon, absolution and remission of all my sins. 
Amen." 

The Blessing before Meals. "4-Bless us, Lord, 
and these Thy gifts, which we are about to receive 
from Thy bounty, through Christ our Lord. 
Amen." 

Grace after Meals. "+We give thanks for all 
Thy benefits, almighty God, who livest and 
reignest forever; and may the souls of the faith- 
ful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in 
peace. Amen." 



ALPHABETICAL INDEX. 



PAGE 

Abraham 162 

Abstinence 321 

Acts, Christian 400 

Acts of Religion 16, 34 

Optional of Religion — 34 

Actual Grace 336 

Sin 132 

Adoration and Worship.. 18, 309 

Ages, Testimony of 244 

Albigenses 293 

Amendment, Purpose of.. .. 361 

Anabaptists 295 

Angels, The 87 

Sin of the. 115 

Annual Confession 323 

Communion 323 

Apollonarists 291 

Apostles, The 188 

Apostles' Creed 400 

Apostolicity 237 

Appendix of Prayers 399 

Arius 291 

Ark of the Covenant 168 

Articles of Devotion 380 

Atonement, The 142 

Attributes of God 85 

the Church 192 

Authority of the Church . . . 227 

Baptism 343 

Baptists 299 

Believe, What Catholics .... 275 
What Catholics do not. 278 

Benevolent Societies 395 

"Be ye therefore perfect". . 330 

Bible, The 71 

Inspiration of 74 

Historical Value of ... . 76 

Blessed Sacrament 350, 352 

Devotion to 382 

Trinity 83 

Virgin 270 

Devotion to 388 



PAGE 

Blessings of the Church .... 378 

Brethren, United 296 

Calumny 317 

Can Man know the true. 

Religion? 31 

Catholic Church to-day 221 

Authority of 227 

Infallibility of 229 

Marks of 232-238 

Mission of 224 

Necessity of 238 

Perpetuity of 230 

Devotions 381 

Education 312 

Etiquette 329 

Hierarchy 368 

Ritual 265 

Who is a? 240 

Catholics, Old 296 

Catholics, What they believe. 

.275 

What they do not believe. 

Celibacy'.'.'.! !."!_!!!!!".!!!! 257 

Ceremonies, Religious 48 

Certainty in Religion 32 

Christ, Jesus 176 

Incarnation of 139 

Atonement of 142 

Work of Redemption of 144 
Work of Sanctification 

of 145 

foretold by Prophets .. 178 

Church of 185 

Mission of 181 

Religion of 182 

Testimony of His Works 

179 

Christian, or Catholic, Religion 

176-216 

Scientists 297 



404 



ALPHABETICAL INDEX. 



PAGE 

Church, The Attributes of .. 192 

and Holy Ghost 197 

Marks of 195 

What is? 185 

Can she make Laws? 

319 

Conditions of Membership 

200 

No Salvation Outside of 

198-23S 

Support of 325 

Blessings of 378 

and Evolution 281 

and Science 279 

and Socialism 284 

Commandment, New 210 

Communion, Easter 323 

Frequent 

Holy 352 

Conclusion 396 

Confession 363 

Confirmation 347 

Confiteor, The 401 

Congregationalists 296 

Conscience 303 

Examination of 357 

Obstacles to true 304 

Consequences of the Fall ... 

Contrition 35Q 

Act of 401 

Co-operation with Grace . 

Counsels, Evangelical 211 

observed in Catholic Church 

259 

Covenant. Ark of the L68 

Daily Life, Purity in 314 

Days, Sanctification of Certain 

47 

Dead, We can help our 274 

Death 148 

Debt of Religion 12 

How paid 18 

Decalogue 308 

Destiny 100 

Devotion 35 

Articles of 380 

Catholic 381 

to the Blessed Sacrament 

382 

Blessed Virgin 388 

Sacred Heart 385 

Disciple not greater than Master 

250 

Dispensations, Marriage — 327 



PAGE 

Divine Praise 45 

Predestination Ill 

Providence 109 

Divorce 328 

Donatists 291 

Doubt, What to do in a 307 

Duties, General Rights and. 314 

of Children 31 1 

of Parents 312 

of Superiors and Inferiors 

313 

Duty, Right and 300 

Source of 301 

Law in relation to 301 

Easter Communion 323 

Kbionites 290 

•palians 295 

Eucharist, Its Institution... 348 

as Mystery 350 

as Sacrament 352 

as Sacrifice 353 

Evangelical Counsels 2i 1 

observed in Catholic Church 

259 

Evolution or Revelation. . . 2s 1 
Examination of Conscience 357 

I i\ f reme Unction 366 

Faith 201 

Means of obtaining 203 

harmonizes with Reason 205 

The Rule of 205 

and the true Religion .. 218 
Fall, Consequences of the ... 128 

False Witnesses 317 

Family Religion i 59- 175 

Fasting 321 

Father, Our 399 

Flagellantes 293 

Forbidden Societies 287 

Forgiveness of Sins 1 35 

Form of Religion not optional 

20 

Formation of true Conscience 

304 

Fox, George 296 

Free Will 104 

Frequent Communion 224 

Fundamental Ideas 11 

Gen'eral Judgment 156 

Rights and Duties 314 

Ghost, The Holy, and the 

Church 197 

Gnostics 290 



ALPHABETICAL INDEX. 



405 



PAGE 

God, There is a 79 

What is? 83 

Attributes of 85 

Persons in 84 

Providence of 109 

Predestination of Ill 

Goodness, Moral 306 

Grace 333 

Necessity of 334 

Actual 336 

Sanctifying 335 

of Perseverance 339 

God gives sufficient .... 337 

Co-operation with 338 

Means of 340 

Great Means of 341 

Hail Mary, The 399 

Harmony. of Faith and Reason 

205 

Hearing Mass, Obligation of 320 
Heart, Sacred, Devotion to.. 385 

Heaven /.02j. 392 

Hell 118 

Help. We can help our dead. 274 

Henry VIII 295 

Hierarchy, Catholic 368 

Historical Value of the Bible 76 
History testifies to Religion. 21 

Holidays, Mosaic 172 

to-day in the United States 

321 

Holiness, Mark of Catholic 

Church 234 

Holy Eucharist 348-355 

Holy Ghost and the Church. 197 

Holy Job 164 

Holy Orders , . 368 

Huss, John 294 

"I am the Lord thy God.".. 309 

Iconoclasts 292 

Ideas, Fundamental 11 

Images, Veneration of 272 

Immortality of Soul 93 

Incarnation 139 

Indifference, Religious 285 

Indulgences 375 

Infallibility 193 

of the Catholic Church . 229 

Pope 243 

Inferiors, Duties of 313 

Influence of the Spirit Worldl21 

Inspiration 74 

Jansenists 295 



PAGE 

Jesus Christ 176 

Incarnation of 139 

Atonement of 142 

Work of Redemption of 144 
Work of Sanctification of 

145 

foretold by Prophets ... 178 
Testimony of HisWorksl79 

Mission of 181 

Religion of 182 

Church of 185 

Jewish Priesthood 169 

Sects 174 

Job, Holy 164 

Judgment, Particular 150 

General 156 

Justice 316 

Justification 335 

Knowledge of true Religion 30 

How to obtain 31 

Certainty of 33 

Knox, John 295 

Lactantitjs on Religion ... 12 

Latin Language 267 

Law 301 

Necessity and Obligation 

of 302 

Primitive 159 

Mosaic 166 

The New 210 

of God 308 

of the Church 319 

Sacrifice of New 254 

Priesthood of New 256 

Liberty, Religious 49 

Lie 318 

Lord's Day, The 310 

Luther 295 

Lutherans 295 

Magus, Simon 290 

Man 90 

Manicheans 291 

Marcion 290 

Marks of the true Church ... 195 
possessed by the Catholic 

Church 232-238 

Marriage Impediments 326 

Married State 373 

Mary, The Blessed Virgin . .. 270 

Devotion to 389 

Mass, Obligation of hearing. 320 

Holy 353 

Sacrifice of the New Law 
254 



406 



ALPHABETICAL INDEX. 



PAGE 

Master, Disciple not greater 

than 250 

Material Offerings 46 

Meals, Prayers at 402 

Means of obtaining Faith. . . 203 
Means of Grace 340 

Universal, of Grace ... 341 

Melchisedech 163 

Membership in Church 200 

Mennonites 296. 299 

Merit 106 

Methodists 298 

Miracles 64 

Sanction of 252 

Mission of Jesus Christ .... 1S1 

Catholic Church 224 

Mixed Marriages 326, 374 

Modern Superstitions 288 

Monophvsites 292 

Monothelites 292 

Montanists 290 

Moral Goodness 306 

Mormons 297 

165 

Mosaic Law 166 

Holidays 172 

Sacrifices 170 

Religion 165-175 

Mystery 56 

of the Real Presence.. . 350 

Necessity of the Catholic 

Church 238 

of Law 302 

of Grace 334 

Nestorians 292 

Noe 162 

Novatians 291 

Novenas 393 

Obligations of Religion. . . 16 

Octaves 393 

Optional Acts of Religion . . 47 
Optional, Forms of Religion 

not 20 

Orders, Holy 368 

Religious 370 

Original Sin 126 

Outside the Church no Salvation 

198 

Ownership, Private 315 

Pantheism 283 

Pardon, Promise of 129 

Particular Judgment 150 

Parents, Duties of 312 

Pastor, Support of 325 



PAGE 

Patriarchal Religion 159-164 

" Peace be to you ! " 253 

Pelagians 291 

Penance, the Sacrament of 

Mercy 355 

Perfection, Obligation of . . . 330 

Perseverance, Grace of 339 

Peter, Primacy of 189 

Peterbrosians 293 

Photius 292 

Pope, Successor of Peter. . . 241 

Primacy of 242 

Infallibility of 243 

Positi%e Law 159 

Power, Temporal 247 

Practical Religion 23 

in Patriarchal Times. . . 160 

in Mosaic Times 171 

in Apostolic Times. . . . 214 

Test. The 263 

Praise, Divine 45 

Prayer 37 

Prayers, Appendix of 399 

Precepts. The 319 

Predestination Ill 

Prerogatives of the First 

Parents 97 

Presbyterians 299 

Preserving Faith, Means of . 203 

Priest 42 

Priesthood, Jewish 169 

of the New Law 256 

Primacy of Peter 189 

Primitive Revelation 159 

Private < Ownership 315 

Profane Words 309 

Promise of Pardon 129 

Prophecy 66 

Prophets 173 

foretold Christ 178 

Purgatory 152 

We can help souls in. . . 274 

Platoon 152 

Purity in daily Life 314 

Qualities of Confession 363 

Quakers 296 

Real Presence 350 

Reason harmonizes with 

Faith 205 

Reason, Rome and 246 

Redemption 144 

Relation of Law to Right 

and Duty 301 

Relics, Veneration of 272 



ALPHABETICAL INDEX. 



407 



PAGE 

Religion, What It is 12 

Whence It comes 14 

Its Obligations 16 

How to be practised. . . 18 

Is Form optional? 20 

Testimony of History 

on 21 

Practical 23 

Necessity of 25 

True 27 

Only one true 28 

Necessity of Knowing 

true 30 

How to find true 31 

Certainty of Knowledge 

of 32 

What It ordains 34 

To-day there is a true. . 217 
Nature to-day of true. . 218 

of Jesus Christ 182 

Practical in Patriarchal 

Times.. 160 

in Mosaic Times 171 

in Apostolic Times 214 

Religious Ceremonies 48 

Religious Liberty 49 

State 370 

# Indifference 285 

"Repentance 44 

True 262 

Sacrament of 355 

Resurrection 154 

Revealed Religion 53 

Revelation 61 

Primitive 159 

or Evolution 281 

Right and Duty 300 

Rights and Duties in general 314 

Ritual, Catholic 265 

Rome or Reason 246 

Rosary, The 390 

Rule of Faith 205 

Sabbath or Sunday 310 

Sacraments 213 

of the Catholic Church . 342 

Sacramentals 377 

Sacred Heart, Devotion to . . 386 

Sacrifice 41 

Obligation of Religion. . 16 

Mosaic 170 

of the New Law 254 

Salvation 339 

Army 297 

Not outside the Church 198 
in Catholic Church 238 



PAGE 

Sanctification 145 

of certain Days 47 

in United States 321 

Sanctifying Grace 335 

Sanhedrim 174 

Scapulars 391 

School, Necessity of Catholic 312 

Science, Church and 279 

Secrets, Guarding of 318 

Separation, Marriage 328 

Sin of Angels 115 

Original 126 

Consequences of original 128 
Promise of Pardon of 129 

Forgiveness of 135 

forgiven in Sacrament 

of Penance 355 

Socialism 284 

Societies, Benevolent 395 

Forbidden 287 

Sodalities 394 

Soul, Immortality of ...... . 93 

Free Will of 104 

Merit of 106 

Destiny of 100 

Sanctification of 145 

Source of Right and Duty . . 301 
Source of Moral Goodness . .. 306 

Spiritualists 297 

Spirit World, Influence of . .. 121 
Specific Obligations of 

Religion 16 

State Religion 165-175 

Sufficient Grace given to 

All 337 

Superiors, Duties of 313 

Support of Pastor, Church, 

and School 325 

Successor of St. Peter 241 

Superstition 51 

Modern 288 

Supernatural, The 58 

Swedenborgians 297 

Tabernacle and Temple. . . 168 

Temporal Power 247 

Testimony of Ages 244 

of Christ's Works 179 

' ' Thou shalt not bear false 

witness " 318 

Tradition 67 

Transmission of in Pa- 
triarchal Times 161 

Mosaic times 173 

Catholic Church 198 



408 



ALPHABETICAL INDEX. 



PAGE 

Triduums 393 

Trinity, The Blessed 83 

True Church to-day 221 

True Religion 27 

Only one 28 

can be known 30 

must be known 30 

known by Revelation.. 31 
can be known with 

Certainty 32 

ordains 34-48 

of to-day 217 

In what consists the. . . 218 
Sacrifice of to-day .... 254 

Repentance 262 

Priesthood of to-day . . 256 

Truth 54 

Universalists 297 

Universality, Mark of Cath- 
olic Church 236 

United Brethren . 296 

Unction, Extreme 366 

Unitarians 296 

Value, Historical, of Bible . 76 
Virginity, State of 371 



PAGE 
Virgin Mary, The Blessed . . 270 
Devotion to the Blessed. 389 
Veneration of Saints, their 

Relics and Images 272 

Vocation 367 

to Clerical State 368 

Religious State 369 

Single Life in the World.371 

Married State 373 

Mixed Marriage, No. . . 374 

Waldenses 293 

Way of the Cross 387 

Weslev, John 296 

"What think you of Christ? "176 
"Witness, Thou shalt not bear 

false" 318 

Will, Free 104 

World, Influence of the 

Spirit 121 

Single Life in 371 

Worship 39 

in Patriarchal Times. .. 159 

Mosaic Times 170, 171 

Apostolic Times 214 

to-day 254,353 

Wycliffe, John 294 



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